Only a few days ago, both left and right were telling us former NSA contractor Edward Snowden was a champion of freedom. It turns out, however, that the man supposedly making his stand for truth, justice and the American way has escaped an extradition request from the US — with the help of two of the world’s most authoritarian nations, China and Russia.
We don’t expect Snowden’s flight from Hong Kong will change any minds on the left, where anyone who does anything to bring down a US anti-terror program automatically becomes a hero. But we wonder about those on the right.
When Snowden popped up in Hong Kong making public classified information he had stolen, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul declared, “Mr. Snowden told the truth in the name of privacy.” Likewise, pundit Glenn Beck tweeted, “The NSA patriot leaker is just yet another chance for America to regain her moral compass and set things right.” Even Jim Sensenbrenner, the GOP congressman who wrote the Patriot Act, said, “No, I don’t agree,” when asked if Snowden was a traitor. Some are now scrambling to clarify such remarks.
Certainly Snowden’s arrival in Moscow on Monday ought to be a bracing clarifier. Yesterday we also learned that he took the job as an NSA contractor specifically to gain access to the classified documents. We would have thought it obvious that a nation cannot protect itself from terrorists if people entrusted with sensitive, classified information are free to make it public regardless of the oaths they have taken or the damage it will do.
For years conservatives complained about liberals who mindlessly opposed any anti-terror effort simply because George W. Bush was for it. It’s no better if conservatives do the same just because Barack Obama is in office. If there is genuine whistle-blowing to be done — and let’s be clear, Snowden has produced no evidence of any illegality — let it come to Congress for investigation and hearings, in closed session if necessary.
Now think about the countries involved in Snowden’s flight plan: China. Russia. Cuba. Venezuela. Ecuador. Last we checked, these are not run by regimes known for either their respect for privacy rights or a transparent security apparatus.
But they make perfect partners for Edward J. Snowden.