Secy. Kerry to CNN on Snowden: "People may die as a consequence of what this man did."

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Secretary of State John Kerry sat down with CNN Foreign Affairs Reporter Elise Labott today to discuss the efforts to return Edward Snowden to the United States.

KERRY: What I see is an individual who threatened this country and put Americans at risk through the acts that he took. People may die as a consequence of what this man did. It is possible the United States will be attacked because terrorists may now know how to protect themselves in some way or another, that they didn't know before.

This is a very dangerous act."

http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/24/secy-kerry-to-cnns-elise-labott-on-snowden-people-may-die-as-a-consequence-of-what-this-man-did/

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. If this was not that predictable.

...

[bigwillq]

2. Oh, Kerry.

They will find a way to attack regardless. They always have. And always will.
Just like anything. Drugs are illegal, we put some much $$$$ into the "war on drugs" but yet people still find a way to use, to sell, etc.

Stupid answer by Kerry, imo.

[karynnj]

8. Yeah - good reason to make it easier to attack

I assume that the Snowden fan club doesn't want to consider that there could be consequences.

[bigwillq]

25. You're right.

I am the President of the Snowden fan club!

[okaawhatever]

70. Yep, exactly. They don't want the bodies on their mind. They don't want to think

about those who are fighting their own oppressive governments who will be outed as a result. They don't want to consider things like Myanmar or Tibet. All too inconvenient for their made up reality.

[pnwmom]

97. Why help them? That's what Snowden has done.

There's no reason to give them a big leg up.

[hobbit709]

3. And hundreds of thousands HAVE died from what this man did

[magellan]

100. That's the past. We're looking forward.

We must be the luckiest people in the world, always having more terror to look forward to!

[RedCappedBandit]

130. 'Nuff Said.

[Arctic Dave]

4. Ohz noez!!1!11!!

We're all gonna die!!!!!!

[allin99]

91. lol. but arrgh.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Complete bollocks

People may die as a result of US policy : not Snowden.

[premium]

63. Bingo!!!!

For the win.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is droning innocent men, women, and children in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and numerous other countries, Pres. Obama is alleged to have a kill list and claims he has the authority to kill Americans designated as terrorists by a secret court.

You're right, it's U.S. policy, not Snowden, that is killing people.

[840high]

128. Thank you.

[markiv]

6. they said the same thing about his guy

that he was undermining the military which gave aid and comfort to our enemies

he's such a douchbagasourus

[kentuck]

11. I supported Kerry when they accused him of being a traitor.

Money and power can change anyone over time, I suppose?

[markiv]

16. not anyone, but it sure did Kerry

my understanding is that he was born blue blood minus the money, very dangerous combination

[karynnj]

80. He has had power for decades - continually growing

He also has been incredibly wealthy since he married Teresa - over 18 years ago.

Nothing he says here seems surprising to me or different from what he has said all his life. He has always been against leaks - and has never been guilty of intentionally leaking anything. Not to mention, he would never have run to another country after speaking out.

More than anyone I know in government, you can find things Kerry said decades ago - and the basic belief system is the same today. The most surprising was reading part of the speech he gave as a student at Yale on foreign policy - which Madeline ALbright included in her 2006 book -- his speeches as SFRC chair were basically mature versions og them.

Even in 1971, Kerry told the NYT that he was not radical - he wasn't and did not want to be - even in the 1970s.

[HiPointDem]

81. he had some money. more than most of the population will ever see.

[JI7]

33. it's bs to compare him to snowden, Kerry is more like those who are speaking out against SExual

Abuse in the military.

they are the real heroes right now. they are staying and fighting to improve things .

[VanillaRhapsody]

54. Kerry fought and was wounded for his country

Snowden ran to Communist China and gave them information...how dare this comparison be made? Despicable.

[JI7]

31. hahhaha, comparing what KErry did to Snowden ? Kerry faced those he wanted to change

didn't run off to some place like north korea or russia

[markiv]

34. he didnt have to break a clearence to get the truth out

wasnt exactly a secret that guys were dying for a mistake in vietnam

[karynnj]

84. Kerry's testimony was more than that - and he told America many truths

they did not want to hear. He did succeed in moving many against the war.

As to consequences, there were many. His phone was tapped and he was monitored for a year - even though he never broke a law. In a book by Melvin Laird, it was mentioned that the Pentagon decided they should not attempt to charge him. (The fact that he violated no laws did not mean that they could not have done that.) When he ran for office in 1972, Colson provided the right wing newspapers with daily garbage to throw at Kerry - and it often was the front couple of pages . They even went so far as to suggest that he used hard drugs - something he never did and an issue he was trying to get authorities to help vets who did with. Read Tour of Duty - this effort led to people throwing rocks through his window and slashing his tires.

Ultimately, it possibly cost him the Presidency. Even at Yale, were were people who thought he had the right stuff to be president.

[alp227]

101. Well, he is a statesman and former member of congress!

He gets more leverage that way.

[karynnj]

104. They're speaking of 1971 when he was a young highly decorated war vet.

[Kolesar]

53. Kerry is a douchbagasourus?

Are you blogging from the head injury ward?

[Kolesar]

60. I just realized that Markiv won't be answering because he doesn't play nice

Here is some real wisdom: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3087372 /sarcasm

[ljm2002]

69. ^^^^^This^^^^^ +1000 n/t

[karynnj]

87. He violated no laws in telling the truth before the SFRC

He said what he felt in good conscience had to be said knowing that he could pay a high price for it. Not to mention he was - and is - a far more patriotic, thoughtful person that Snowden ever will be.

[bike man]

7. And, people *do* die as a consequence of what senior elected officials do, say, and the

decisions they make.

[MattFromKY]

9. Kerry is a man that has given his life to his country, during good times and bad...

Without once betraying it and/or fleeing.

I trust him over some snot-nosed brat running around the globe pretending he's Jason Bourne.

[DURHAM D]

14. ditto

[FSogol]

21. Same here. n/t

[politicasista]

22. +1

Trust him and Obama and shame on those that booed Pelosi over this issue.

That dude (Snowed-in) is gross. He is no hero.

[graham4anything]

38. +1.

[Bobbie Jo]

26. This. nt

[treestar]

30. +1

Tell it like it is, Mr. Secretary.

[madokie]

32. Yup

[MattFromKY]

41. And what, pray tell, does that have to do with his professional life? nt

[Fawke Em]

55. About the same as Snowden's "snotty nose."

Nada.

Neither of their personal lives have jack all to do with the issue(s) at hand.

[BeyondGeography]

40. A true American hero, and there haven't been that many at his level

That is all.

[Fawke Em]

48. Now I see why I don't come here as often.

This issue isn't about Snowden or his personal life or his personality. It's about our government spying on us. That so many DUers above me like this statement shows how well propaganda.... um... er... mainstream media has done their job.

[Kolesar]

58. It's about people getting killed so that too-young-to-shave can get his jollies...eom

[VanillaRhapsody]

59. Why do you make the assumption that those that oppose Snowden support spying?

That's one hella stretch isn't it?

[burnodo]

73. They support Obama

and with him the mainstream political establishment who thinks spying on Americans is OK.

[VanillaRhapsody]

103. So you mean anyone who supports Obama is now a traitor by your estimation?

Sounding more and more like Teabaggers all the time. They like purity tests too you know...

[burnodo]

110. it's "purity" to think the 4th amendment is worth something?

Sounding more and more like "The Party" and it aint just Republicans or Dems

[VanillaRhapsody]

124. So now anyone that supports Obama is against the 4th Amendment by your strict standards?

and all of this if we don't support Snowden? GMAFB...seriously!

[VanillaRhapsody]

56. What HE said ^^^

[Hekate]

66. +1 Some of the other posts here are embarrassing to even read

My gods, people.

[Scurrilous]

76. Thank God for the ignore function.

71 replies (currently) and I'm only seeing about a third of them.

[Hekate]

83. I tried doing that for less than 24 hours this weekend, and realized it was impractical

I couldn't keep up with the tide of **** flowing in, so I took all those people off Ignore again. Figured that if this place gets that bad, I might as well know it.

[karynnj]

88. Me too

Welcome to DU - I hope this current insanity does not drive you away.

[Yukari Yakumo]

108. Ditto here too

And frankly, I think it's time to tombstone anyone still defending him. I have serious doubts any of them even give a shit about advancing liberal causes. More like a radical, naive form of Ron Paulian libertarianism.

[sibelian]

111. So it seems that your opinions depend on who you trust?

Hm.

[nebenaube]

126. Really?

Because I didn't see that in 2004.

[mike_c]

10. people die EVERY DAY because of what the government Kerry represents does....

I'm utterly sick of government for the 1%, of the 1%, by the 1%. Kerry has a lot of nerve to suggest that Snowden is responsible for human deaths because he revealed that the U.S. is spying on everyone it possibly can, simply because it can.

[City Lights]

27. Well said!

[leftstreet]

51. +1

[bigwillq]

71. Tremendous post.

[burnodo]

74. +1

[premium]

77. Nailed it.

+1000.

[WillyT]

82. + 1,000,000,000... What You Said !!! - K & R !!!

[Bonobo]

122. Love ya, Mike_C. You cut right to it. nt

[LibAsHell]

123. Thank you!

I like Kerry, but he was way off here, and that some of you not only defend him, but attack Snowden by calling him a "brat" and "snot nosed" and "gross" is very disappointing. Those kinds of tactics are best reserved for freepers.

[The Straight Story]

12. We are angry because we feel we have been used in the worst fashion by the admin of this country

We are angry because we feel we have been used in the worst fashion by the administration of this country.

...

We found most people didn't even know the difference between communism and democracy. They only wanted to work in rice paddies without helicopters strafing them and bombs with napalm burning their villages and tearing their country apart. They wanted everything to do with the war, particularly with this foreign presence of the United States of America, to leave them alone in peace, and they practiced the art of survival by siding With whichever military force was present at a particular time, be it Vietcong, North Vietnamese, or American.

We found also that all too often American men were dying in those rice paddies for want of support from their allies. We saw first hand how money from American taxes was used for a corrupt dictatorial regime. We saw that many people in this country had a one-sided idea of who was kept free by our flag, as blacks provided the highest percentage of casualties. We saw Vietnam ravaged equally by American bombs as well as by search and destroy missions, as well as by Vietcong terrorism, and yet we listened while this country tried to blame all of the havoc on'the Vietcong.

We rationalized destroying villages in order to save them. We saw Ammerica lose her sense of morality as she accepted very coolly a My Lai and refused to give up the image of American soldiers who hand out chocolate bars and chewing gum.

We learned the meaning of free fire zones, shooting anything that moves, and we watched while America placed a cheapness on the lives of orientals.

We watched the U.S. falsification of body counts, in fact the glorification of body counts. We listened while month after month we were told the back of the enemy was about to break. We fought using weapons against "oriental human. beings," with quotation marks around that. We fought using weapons against those people which I do not believe this country would dream of using were we fighting in the European theater, or let us say a non-third-world people theater, and so we watched while men charged up hills because a general said that hill has to be taken, and after losing one platoon or two platoons they marched away to leave the high ground for the reoccupation by the North Vietnamese because we watched pride allow the most unimportant of battles to be blown into extravaganzas, because we couldn't lose, and we couldn't retreat, and because it didn't matter how many American bodies were lost to prove that point. And so there were Hamburger Hills and Khe Sanhs and Hill 881's and Fire Base 6's and so many others.

-------------------------

And we, Mr. Kerry, have found similar things with the wars we have now and our government, lies, and the risk those in charge have put our people in.

Clean up your own house first, or at least at the same time.

[Autumn]

13. Kind of like what Dick fucking Cheney did?

But that's all good cause he's on Kerrys side now.

[malaise]

15. How many people died because of Bush, Cheney et al? n/t

[Earth_First]

17. So by using Kerry's statement...

paired with what I'm being told by DU's most ardently vocal members of the campaign against Snowden is that "only an idiot doesnt know that other countries spy on others..." is that Kerry is a fucking moron?

So Snowdens' revelations turned on some magical switch in which terrorists now know how to use data mining in order to do what now...?

[patrice]

18. That's okay, Secy. Kerry, because it's free market killing. If you were a principled person, you'd

understand that killing caused by principled persons is good, because it makes the principle more real.

[politicasista]

19. TY. Would rather celebrate and pray for a REAL hero

Nelson Mandela. Bless him.


eom

[spanone]

20. he was referring to dick cheney, correct?

[90-percent]

23. I'll ask again

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023075539#post18

All info on deaths caused by the Cheney/Plame, Manning and now Snowden seem to be based on speculation instead of empirical evidence.

This is my third try on DU to find an accurate body count as a result of these three leaks. I've come up empty every time, even doing some half assed googling.

-90% Jimmy

[Hydra]

93. I was curious too

Especially with Wikileaks having released so much data...and the answer seems to be...no more deaths than we were causing normally.

Which is kinda freakish, but if you consider our current foreign policy is to cause as much trouble around the world as possible, how could you actually top something like that?

[bemildred]

115. Think about it, this is from surveillance of everybody.

It is not information about undercover spooks, who will be killed, unless that information is sloshing around on the internet.
It's bullshit.

[BlueCheese]

24. Sigh.

Remember when Joe Biden joked that the GOP convention was nothing but a noun, a verb, and 9/11?

When did Democrats decide to also go with the "be afraid, be very afraid" card? Didn't we used to be smarter than that?

I'd really like to know what's been revealed that is so dangerous. Were these terrorists somehow unaware that their communications might be compromised?

[Fawke Em]

50. We certainly didn't used to be so frightened.

If this spying worked so well and was so necessary, why didn't stop the Boston bombings? If we're to believe what we've been told, the FBI and the CIA knew the older brother and still couldn't keep an eye on him? (The younger brother, I fear, was bullied by a murderous elder sibling and probably would have never done this on his own, if they are, indeed the perpetrators. I say that because we haven't had a trial and he hasn't pleaded guilty - I do believe in "presumed innocent until proven guilty.&quot

I'm assuming the NSA is more interested in Occupy and Anonymous than they are real potential dangers. We know they're far more likely to keep tabs on Code Pink or recruiting would-be Muslim "terrorists" for the FBI than they are in foreign sleeper cells.

Actually, since my husband worked with the NSA for years, I know the answer to that question.

[shenmue]

29. Well, it's true.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but this man and what he's done may not be as sugar-coated and noble as you think.

[Apophis]

35. Yeah. Sure.

[jazzimov]

37. So now people here are attacking John Kerry?

I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it for myself.

[LeftInTX]

42. Of course!!!

Kerry isn't a libertarian anarchist!!!

[JI7]

46. you must be new here

[sibelian]

116. Polticians can be replaced.

Freedoms cannot.

[WinkyDink]

118. John Kerry above all knows the twaddle he is speaking. Now HE is the Power to whom Truth must

be spoken.

[East Coast Pirate]

39. Americans are most likely to die because of

the U.S. government's actions in Muslim countries.

[dkf]

43. Die of embarrassment perhaps.

[Vinnie From Indy]

44. Gee John, Americans are DYING RIGHT NOW by the truckload

from lack of health care, gun violence, tobacco addiction, alcohol addiction and poverty.

Protecting us from terrorists is killing tens of thousands of us right now!!

[karynnj]

98. True - and Kerry fought on the right side of each of those issues for 28 years in the Senate

He and Kennedy wrote the precursor bill to SCHIP, he voted for gun legislation, he was good on addiction and he was one of the few who actually spent a lot of time on poverty - including being the sponsor through three congresses of an affordable housing fund that passed as part of the 2008 banking bill and he was the seante sponsor for decades of Youthbuild.

[truebrit71]

45. Complete, total and utter hyperbolic bullshit..

...but he's toeing the company line nicely since Hillary left..

[truebluegreen]

68. That's it exactly.

"the company line".

[GoneFishin]

47. I'd like to be protected from assholes poisoning our drinking water with fracking fluids.

I have faith in good old fashion law enforcement to take care of the occasional idiot trying to take down a bridge with a butane torch.

You can deposit my share of the $300 billion savings right into my checking account which number I am sure you already have.

[Thinkingabout]

49. The scumbag Snowden is a traitor, sold his country for whatever, his actions intentional.

Those praising him will never soar with eagles because they are dining with the buzzard

[Fawke Em]

52. Wow...

Jingoistic much?

[Hydra]

95. It seems to be in vogue lately

Terra Terra Terra!!

We used to laugh at Bush for doing it. Now our Reps do it and people fall for it...what the hell happened??

[sibelian]

114. Partisan politics.

It's eaten everything.

[Marrah_G]

57. You are on the wrong side of this Sen Kerry

[Kolesar]

61. You would make a great secretary of state

/sarcasm

[politicasista]

72. LOL n/t

Last edited Mon Jun 24, 2013, 11:16 PM - Edit history (1)

[Kolesar]

78. It's a lot like dealing with the mouthy Bush backers eight years ago...eom

[politicasista]

102. Bingo

Had to go edit because that may seem offensive to the folks of MA.

[kickysnana]

62. Real people are dead because of the cuts caused by the bloated cost of this illegal boondoggle...

Our country has fallen from 1st to middle and even last on human rights, infrastructure, maternal and prenatal deaths, drug deaths, life expectancy etc, etc, etc. 76% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and how many are starving right now?

What exactly are we protecting? With the recent mass deaths in the US IT ISN'T WORKING AT ALL ANYWAY!

Don't get me started on outsource info to a private company that does also works for Saudi Arabia. The stupid hurts.

[Th1onein]

64. Senator Kerry, if how the government "protected" us from the Boston Bombers is any

example, well, thanks but no thanks, for your "protection." We don't need to be "protected" by reading our fucking emails, texts, and listening in to/storing every thing else.

You can't have it both ways--either "everyone already knew" that you were listening in to our private communications, or revealing this information will cause a problem. Come on, now, Facebook, Google, Yahoo, etc? What terrorist worth his/her salt is going to be posting/searching on such sites?

[MNBrewer]

65. AUMF, Sen. Kerry?

How many people died because of THAT careless action???

[Skip Intro]

67. It's "inappropriate" for people to be concerned with privacy?!

from your link, here's the tiny part where he talks about privacy:

----

So this is completely anonymous, completely random. You know, it's really inappropriate for people to be believing that this is somehow an invasion of their privacy, because there's no person identified with any of this unless a court were to approve it, the Congress of the United States has approved this. The judiciary approves it. The executive has approved it.

This has been United States policy for some years.

----

He's being very misleading.

Inappropriate to be concerned about privacy?

[Waiting For Everyman]

75. Kerry's doing a "Colin Powell" right now.

As if the global spying isn't dangerous to all the people of this world. WTF. What a colossal nerve!

[Kolesar]

79. Observe the incomplete-sentences-unfocused-thoughts phenomenon

You don't make any sense. Just filling up the page for kicks, everyman??

[Waiting For Everyman]

85. Not to worry.

I'm sure anyone who cares to, could figure out what was meant.

[Hydra]

96. I followed it

And selling your soul apparently has a new title, fittingly enough.

Colin Powell @ the UN ftw!

[Kolesar]

119. You followed it? Hell, you probably wrote it

twenty times in other threads on various forums all around the USA

[Hydra]

120. Lol

I didn't have to- the episode at the UN with the chemical weapons trucks Saddam supposedly had was one of the most laughable things I've ever seen, and apparently I wasn't alone. It's become his defining low moment.

[Rex]

86. Shouldn't outsource national security.

Maybe actually pay attention to who you hire?

[morningfog]

89. But, we've known it all since 2006!11!1 Nothing new!!!

His comment is predictable and very much overstated. Fear mongering at it's finest.

[glinda]

90. ....

[Phlem]

92. Now they are just covering their asses.

This shit is just getting to predictable.



-p

[DeSwiss]

94. Well we definitely know......

...that people die as a consequence of what you do.

- Almost all of them innocent.

[Hydra]

99. FFS

How many people are going to sell their principles to the MIC? Never mind, I forgot this was all the Big Club(TM) speaking.

[backscatter712]

105. People may be dying as a result of what the NSA is doing.

One of Snowden's revelations was that the NSA was hacking into hospital computers.

You don't want to screw that up - if you crash the hospital computer systems and corrupt patient data...

[Zorra]

106. Voting to go to war in Iraq was a far more dangerous act than this could ever be. nt

[Phlem]

107. [phone]

no truer words said on DU in a long time!



-p

[MelungeonWoman]

109. This is becoming maddening.

A friend of mines brother went to the emergency room with a stomache ache and no insurance, sat there till 3 in the morning, went home, and was found the next morning by his 10 year old son. Never found out what killed him because foul play wasn't suspected and no one could afford an autopsy.

I guess that's not important though. Snowden has probably endangered people that Sec. Kerry knows personally!

[SidDithers]

112. And under the bus he goes...nt

Sid

[sibelian]

113. Ugh.

They're getting worse and worse. Kerry too, now...

[WinkyDink]

117. "because terrorists may now know how to protect themselves in some way or another" = SAME

OLD PROPAGANDA.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THESE WORDS WERE UTTERED BY JOHN "LAST MAN TO DIE" KERRY.

OH, WAIT; THAT WOULD BE JOHN "SKULL AND BONES LIKE DUBYA" KERRY.

[sibelian]

121. I really can't understand why anyones surprised.

He's a politician like all the others, the bad treatment of him by the right during his initial campaign notwithstanding. He says hat's expedient, like the others, that's all.

None of them are any different.

[Dr Fate]

125. I hope Kerry goes after Snowden even harder than when he went after all of Bush's treason.

If Kerry even spends a fraction of the energy that he did in taking down Bush and Cheney, then Snowden better WATCH OUT!!!!

[Douglas Carpenter]

127. democracy may die as a consequence of the relentlessly growing surveillance industrial complex

- which nobody outside the fringes of politics were even thinking about until these leeks were published.

[aquart]

129. Same goes for John Roberts.

He has guaranteed the death of Americans. (When I said that about Bush v. Gore, I was told I was being melodramatic. Thousands of dead Americans later, I say the same about the vile decisions of the smug and hellbound John Roberts.)

[idwiyo]

131. Someone on DU REALLY doesn't like where this tread is going and tried to shut it down.

Unfortunately for them jurors disagreed.

AUTOMATED MESSAGE: Results of your Jury Service

At Tue Jun 25, 2013, 04:03 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

Secy. Kerry to CNN on Snowden: "People may die as a consequence of what this man did."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023086760

REASON FOR ALERT:

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. (See <a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=aboutus#communitystandards" target="_blank">Community Standards</a>.)

ALERTER'S COMMENTS:

Not the OP's fault, but it's time to lock the Anti-Kerry flambait thread. It and "Dems" "Liberals" comments sound like Free Republic.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Tue Jun 25, 2013, 04:15 PM, and the Jury voted 0-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: This is an abuse of the alert button.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Kerry is a mouthpiece here but posting his mutterings isn't a violation
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: FFS, use Trash option, that's what it there for! BTW, what should be locked out for a while is you, for comparing DU and DUers to Free Republic because you happen to disagree with some of them.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: It doesn't work that way, though I see your point. Not fair to punish the OP for the actions of others. Sorry.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: I can't even figure out why this was brought to the jury......
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: if the OP wants to shut it down, he can

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.