Anyone know?

Here in the United States, the last time there was a high-level principled resignation was 1980, when Secretary of State Cyrus Vance quit rather than sign off on Jimmy Carter’s doomed attempt to rescue the embassy hostages in Iran with an invading force of attack helicopters. It’s hard to remember, therefore, that the principled resignation used to be quite common in American politics and the rest of the world.

Egypt’s Mohammed ElBaradei has resigned as vice president of Egypt’s ruling military junta in the aftermath of a violent crackdown in which government troops slaughtered hundreds of pro-Morsi demonstrators. Setting aside the matter of whether he ever ought to have joined such a regime in the first place, this, folks, is how it’s done. Not like, say, loyalists like Colin Powell, who knowingly lied us into war at the UN rather than tell George W. Bush to go to hell.

Once again, multimillionaire New York Times columnist Tom Friedman weighs in with wisdom that could only come from the confines of a spectacular private estate:

To make a second impression, Snowden would need to come home, make his case and face his accusers. It would mean risking a lengthy jail term, but also trusting the fair-mindedness of the American people, who, I believe, will not allow an authentic whistle-blower to be unfairly punished.

Which reminds us — again — just how colossally dumb Friedman is.

“The American people” don’t decide criminal cases. Judges and juries do. And they’re not allowed to let people off the hook for illegal actions because they think those actions were morally right. Snowden committed a number of illegal acts, any number of which carry long prison terms. If he faces trial in the U.S., he will be found guilty and sentenced to significant prison term. This isn’t a movie. And I’m not even going to get into the fact that the U.S. government wants to get even with him for embarrassing them, and send a message to future whistleblowers.

Besides, it’s far from clear that “the American people” support Snowden. A July 24th ABC poll found that 53% of the public supports charging Snowden as a criminal. Granted, all you need is one hold-out juror to walk free.

What exactly would be a fair punishment, anyway? In my view, Obama and his minions should be in prison for the NSA programs Snowden revealed. Snowden deserves a medal and compensation for the stress he suffered, and those Russian hotel bills. To me, there’s nothing fair or moderate about the idea of Snowden serving a single minute of prison time.

“The fact is, he dumped his data and fled to countries that are hostile to us and to the very principles he espoused,” Friedman writes. Well, yeah. Because, if you’re on the lam from Country A, you don’t go hang out in nations that are friendly to Country A. What’s galling is the implication that there is something immoral about Snowden’s refusal to turn himself in.

Why should he enable his own oppression? Why should anyone? Especially when the system he is challenging is lawless?

Why should Snowden voluntarily submit to punishment he doesn’t deserve?

Why should he trust the American system of justice, which found Bradley Manning guilty of similar “crimes,” after torturing him?

To which I add: Snowden does a lot more good to the American people by remaining free in Russia, where he can be interviewed and explain the data he is leaking, than behind bars.

Friedman’s analysis is infantile and absurd, and he deserves to be fired for this column alone.

Boy stuck between building and shed rescued using dish soap, vegetable oil

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Check out my appearance on Russia Today TV about the media coverage of the Anthony Weiner sexting scandal.

At 3 PM Eastern time Obama is giving a speech to restore public trust in the NSA’s domestic spying program against the American people. This should be entertaining.

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