A Year of Edward Snowden

Today celebrates a year since Edward Snowden first showed us the beginning of a long, deep hole of NSA spying and lying. From Clapper lying to Congress, and getting away with it, to Obama saying metadata collection isn't a big deal, when we've learned that it clearly is. Check out my first and second articles written almost a year ago talking about the information shared by Snowden and the potential impacts.

Capitalism - The System of Greed and Exploitation

I used to think the problem in our system was the divide between Democrats and Republicans and that our stalemates were the cause of problematic laws and inequality. But more recently I've started to see a hard shift in my views. The GOP and the Democrats are not the problem, they are just a symptom of the problem, capitalism. Now before you get yourself all excited, I am not promoting communism in this article. That is a completely different topic. This article is solely to critique our capitalist system.

The basic principle of what capitalism has become is a system of greed. Take labor from the poor and barely pay them, strip bare the earth for resources and leave it to deteriorate, convince people they are happy by filling their lives with more and newer useless items, and most recently ending restrictions on donation caps basically equating that money = free speech.

TEDTalks: Edward Snowden vs. NSA (Richard Ledgett)

Earlier in March, Edward Snowden spoke on TEDTalks via a very cool mechanical bot about the NSA and the leaks he has been involved with over the past year.

Watching the video was fascinating. While I already knew a great deal about all the programs that he spoke about, it was refreshing to hear it put out in laymen terms. Snowden was very informative and gave a solid talk.

He spoke about PRISM, how the NSA broke their own rules consistently, our role in the world economy and security, Project Bullrun (which undermines companies' security), and well, you can watch the TEDTalk to see it all. But the basic point that he has been making all along is that the NSA is violating our right to privacy and is creating an unsafe environment for the security of our citizens and companies with programs that are undermining the internet.

Obama Feeling Pressure From The People About The NSA?

So the New York Times reports that President Obama apparently is finally taking a serious look into the NSA's spy and bulk collection program and end it! Whoa! This is huge news. 

Racism on Repeat - Jordan Davis' Murder's Trial Begins

The cover of Jet magazine shows
the legitimate fear these crimes create.

NOTE: I apologize in advance for my aggressive voice in this piece, but sometimes you just can't help it.

It hasn't even been a full year since George Zimmerman was acquitted of the murder (yes, murder) of Trayvon Martin in 2012, who threaten Zimmerman with the deadly weapon of a sidewalk after he was stalked by Zimmerman. And yet we find ourselves witnessing another high profile trial of Stand Your Ground racism at work in Florida. Showing once again how this law is aimed to protect white shooters, not black victims.

In November of 2012, Jordan Davis, 17, was gunned down by a 47 year old man who apparently feared for his life, after the shooter initiated contact over the teenagers "disrespectful" behavior. Michael Dunn (the shooter) told Davis and his friends to turn down their loud music and after their refusal and some heated words, he opened fire on the car, killing Davis.

Snowden Speaks at Length About Leaks

I just watched this interview with Edward Snowden and the German channel NDR where he goes into depth about his opinions, observations, and reaction to the his leaks. He also explains what the significance of his leaks are.

Video uploaded to LiveLeak December 27, 2013. You can view it here on LiveLink.

British Attack Anonymous... Using Anonymous' Tactics?

Yet another scandal has had the lid blown off by Edward Snowden with the revelation that the GCHQ used a DDoS attack on the hacktivist group Anonymous and LulzSec, originally reported on by NBC news. This time, the attack against Anonymous used the same tactics used by some Anonymous activist, that have since sent them to jail. But as a GCHQ spokesperson claimed, "all of GCHQ's work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework." 

So, when Anonymous performs a DDoS, it's illegal. When GCHQ does it, it's completely legal.

Dirty Wars Nominated for Best Documentary Oscar

War is a dirty thing. It always has been and it will continue to be. The fact alone that all wars are fought because of greed or hate is inherently a terrible thing. So, to talk about covert warfare as if it were a shocking and wrong is almost silly, yet here we are.

ACLU v. Clapper Case Dismissed, NSA Continues Bulk Collection

IMAGE: Electronic Frontier Foundation

In June, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) brought a case against James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, questioning the legality of the NSA’s programs to spy on the American people and collect and store bulk information for future use. ACLU v. Clapper was made possible after Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the NSA.

The War on Reproductive Rights

Forty years ago Roe v. Wade gave women the right to choose when it came to their ability to have an abortion. While the moral debate went on, and indeed intensified, it remained law that women had control over their bodies. Unfortunately, current events in some states have proven that although Roe v. Wade is still law, it is possible to regulate clinics so harshly that they are forced to close their doors, leaving women around the country without the care they need and want.

The debate looks like a moral issue on the outside and anti-choice advocates claim abortion is murdering innocent lives and hurting women. While many anti-choice people may believe this is the goal of these strict laws, pro-choice women see the matter in a different light.