It wasn't me who first pointed out Simon as a hypocritical "liberal bully."

"Here’s why I assert Simon is a bully. His own words reveal him to be a petty, nasty, mean-spirited guy. “…anything I've ever accomplished as a writer, as somebody doing TV, anything I've ever done in life, down to, like, cleaning up my room, has been accomplished because I was going to show people that they were [bleeped] up, wrong, and that I was the [bleeping] center of the universe and the sooner they got hip to that, the happier they would all be.""

Statist narcissism.

There's as much as you'd like on this. How about...?

"David Simon, a multi-millionaire writer for Time-Warner, one of the largest corporations in the world and a cultural leader, jetted across the globe to speak in front an audience of people with both the financial means and free time about the horrors of “unchecked” capitalism and the tragic loss of the social compact."

"It is rich that a leading light of Hollywood, that of unpaid interns, unmatched inequality of pay, tax-avoidance schemes, exploitation of public subsidies, industry scheming, etc., would criticize a “broken social compact.”"

"Meanwhile, in the real world of unchecked, no-social-compact capitalism, the WSJ is reporting that the “Burger Wars” are expanding to Africa. The heartless capitalist system is stepping in where communism, socialism and other authoritarian systems have failed, bringing with it the digging of new wells, food production systems, jobs, etc. All that awful stuff that comfortable capitalists take for granted."

EDIT: To be clear, I have no specific interest in advocating for Koch, or Simon, or whomever, or in prosecuting them or @radx or anyone else. But I do think this kind of pernicious thinking/bullying can and does spread and causes much harm, even to those engaging in the thinking/bullying, it distorts them in an undesirable way, so I point it out.

Actually, the proof that something did not end up in the hands of the Chinese, the Russians, or myself for that matter, is quite difficult, given that evidence of absence is impossible to obtain. However, the absence of evidence to the claim that they have gained access to information through Snowden himself is reason enough for me.

You want proof that nothing was transfered to them? Might as well try to prove the non-existance of the famous tea pot in orbit.

So the basic argument boils down to motivation as well as credibility of claims.

His motivation to keep access to his material restricted to the selected group of journalists is apparent from his own interviews. They are supposed to be the check on the government, they lack the information to fullfil the role, they need access to correct (what he perceived to be) a wrong, namely a grave breach of your consitution on a previously unheard of scale.
Providing access to Russia or China would instantly negate all hope of ever not drawing the short straw in this mess, as the US is the only country on the planet who can provide him with amnesty and therefore safety.

So why would he do it? For a shot at asylum? You know as well as I do that (permanent) asylum in China/Russia is worthless if the US is after you. Europe could guarantee one's safety, but given the lack of sovereignty vis-a-vis the US, it would not be an option.

That leaves credibility of claims. And that's where my first reason comes into play, the one you put down as "naive". His opponents, those in positions of power, be it inside government or the press, have a track record of being... let's not mince words here, lying sacks of shit. James Clapper's act of perjury on front of Congress is just the most prominent manifestation of it. The entire bunch lied their asses off during the preparation of the invasion of Iraq, they lied their asses off during the revelations triggered by Chelsea Manning and they lied their asses off about the total und unrelenting surveillance of American citizens in violation of their constitutional rights.

If you think supervision of the NSA by the Select Committee on Intelligence is actually working, I suggest you take a look at statements by Senator Wyden. The NSA even plays them for fools. Hell, Bruce Schneier was recently approached by members of Congress to explain to them what the NSA was doing, because the NSA refused to. Great oversight, works like a charm. By the way, it's the same fucking deal with GCHQ and the BND.

So yes, the fella who "stole" data is actually a trustworthy figure, because a) his claims were true and b) his actions pulled off the veil that covered the fact that 320 million Americans had their private data stolen and were sold out by agencies of their own government in conjunction with private intelligence contractors.

What else...

Ah, yeah. "Sloppy" and "stupid". Again, if he was sloppy and stupid, what does that say about the internal control structure of the intelligence industry? They didn't notice shit, they still claim to be unaware of what precisely he took with him. Great security, fellas.

"He could have allowed the press to do it's job without disclosing a much of what has been released."

He disclosed nothing. He is not an experienced journalist and therefore, by his own admission, not qualified to make the call what to publish and how. That's why he handed it over to Barton Gellman at the WaPo, Glenn Greenwald at the Guardian and Laura Poitras, who worked closely with Der Spiegel.

If Spiegel, WaPo and Guardian are not reputable institutions of journalism, none are. So he did precisely what you claim he should have done: he allowed the press to do its bloody job and released fuck all himself.

As for the cheap shot at not being an American: seventy years ago, your folks liberated us from the plague of fascism, brought us freedom. Am I supposed to just sit here and watch my brothers and sisters in the US become the subjects of total surveillance, the kind my country suffered from during two dictatorships in the last century?

Ironically, that would be un-American, at least the way I understand it.

And there's nothing gleeful about my concerns. I am deeply furious about this shit and even more so about the apathy of people all around the world. You think I want Americans to suffer from the same shit we went through as a petty form of payback?

Fuck that. It's the intelligence industry that I'm gunning for. Your nationality doesn't mean squat, some intelligence agency has its crosshairs on you wherever you live. It just happens to be an American citizen who had the balls to provide us with the info to finally try and protect citizens in all countries from the overreaching abuse by the intelligence industry.

In fact, I'd rather worry about our own massive problems within Europe (rise of fascism in Greece, 60% youth unemployment, unelected governments, etc). So can we please just dismantle all these spy agencies and get on with our lives?

Sorry if this is incoherent, but it's late and I'm even more pissed off than usual.

@Sotto_The issue is the power and influence one corporation has over the world's food supply and those who would use their influence in the Department of Agriculture and the Supreme court to implement sweeping legislation or hinder the free will of the small, medium, large or other farmers who would have nothing to do with Monsanto's seeds or who wish only to use sumbunall of their products, not whether a farmer is given their rice for free in an ethical fashion to grow some proprietary rice (ever try to grow rice? S'pretty dependent on climate and seasons, rainfall and other environmental conditions, not to mention the hectares it requires to cultivate) as opposed to say leafy greens of all kinds, sweet potatoes, squash, all of which are much more easily cultivated AND, have shorter seed to fruit times as well as requiring much less space AND, are chock-full of Vitamin A.
We don't even mention here Paprika, Red Pepper, Cayenne, Chili Powder, which are WAY higher in Vitamin A and pretty much grow like weeds when cultivated by morons.

Shaky and hollow point your study cited as well, to support what is obviously a fishy prospect providing this option to poorer countries when you consider the back-door dealing that a corporation like M practices and their track-record of driving small farmers out of business with endless litigation and an army of lah-yahs, investigators, all petty thugs and criminals on their payroll.

A no-brainer? Yeah, if you spout the party-line and din't use your brain but instead cited an "official' study from a 'recognized', 'expert's' journal.

Again, loaded language in your closing with the assumption that most opponents and vocal activists of GMO crops are science deniers. Broad, brush-strokes my friend.
Labels.

I for one want these motherfucker's labs under extreme scrutiny and their science tested and re-tested by those not on their payrolls or whose interests do not include stocks in their concerns. I also want heirloom seeds, regardless of yields, whose fruits produce fertile seeds.

MOST GMO crop's fruited seeds are as sterile as your argument, the genetic markers tweaked similarly to insure that the market on common-sense and centuries-honored methods be cornered and rendered inadequate.

One of great things they discovered during the draft back in WW2 and Vietnam was that a certain segment of the general population were sociopaths and abuse victims-It was some of these, the best and the darkest, who became brass...Captains, majors, colonels, etc. Now that it's an all volunteer army, they can perform psyche-tests to recruit the complete shit-spectrum of the damaged-goods humans to become the next gen of soldiers, and then back home, they can become prison guards, police, and private security fucks, or your average psycho-criminal petty thug.

Yes kids, some soldiers actually enjoy killing anything that moves.

That one guys a complete retard who will get any battle-buddy killed. Bet he washes out or stays a private for 4 years.

"I don't know" is not a belief.

it's all part of the murky definition of atheism that seems to be in flux.

at one point Atheism used to be defined as a definitive claim that no gods existed. This was the primary reason I considered myself to not be an atheist. Because you can't know (presently) There could be a creator, just that a creator probably isn't an petty ass from the stone ages which is how most religions portray a creator.

However I would identify with with how the Atheist Experience defines Atheism: to be the rejection of theistic claims. They specifically say numerous times that they do not claim that no god exists, just that they call bullshit on the claims of all current man-made religions because of lack of evidence.

Which is a viewpoint I can agree with.

It's something I've kinda kept track of for a while, over the years I google the definition of Atheism and many times in the past, it's been defined implying the positive belief that there are no creator(s) which I can't agree with..again, because you can't prove a negative in this situation.

it does seem to be slowly changing though, more and more definitions have changed to match the Atheist Experience's definition.

David Silverman, (while I agree with him on a lot of things) is a douchebag IMO. I'm sorry, you're just not going to win people over with douchey billboards antagonizing theists.

I support freedom of religion, I agree with our founders though that gov't has to be secular. You can vote based on your religious beliefs. but a person elected into public office has to compartmentalize themselves from their religious beliefs and be secular. You govern everyone, not just the followers of your religion. Kick religion out of gov't, but as long as religion doesn't infringe on other peoples' rights, then they can do whatever they want.

O using MLK for his own petty cult-of-personality-reflect: He's a ruse

Border patrol dickbag working at an unrighteous livelihood, sucks cock by choice, enemy of consciousness, complete violation of rights, cunt, asshole, petty-thug punk.
He'd be working at a Kripsy Kreme if the State hadn't hired his cunt-ass.

If everyone did this they'd have to either show their asses or change their game plans. It's every American's fault that they are sanctioned to fuck us like this, and it's the fault of government and the losers who voted with their own "passionate" distractions as a reason rather than for righteousness for allowing illegals en-masse to fuck the system. No Quarter. You are all as Americans, at fault for your own fucked government.

Threats: DPS is en route. Fuck You.

Insincere smiles prove they suck cock by choice.

Yeah well, a handful of cunts on this site fucked me into a corner because of their petty bullshit and dysfunction-Glad to know they're in their holes as well and would love to be able to engage them or embrace them, whichever they chose.
Pretty sure it was my tenacity and commitment to righteous action in the face of intolerant assholes who have done very little work on themselves and haven't the slightest clue who they really are that PROMPTED the creation of the invocations described.

Trolls hide under bridges, the righteous trot right the fuck across that bitch.

Also quite certain that for all their work to see me burn in hell, all it netted them was stigmatization and self-immolation once the smoke cleared.
Some folks brains start to burn when have to face the bullshit they've packed it with through years of disciplined unconsciousness.

The petty cop thugs who laughed and giggled (literally) as they served me a felony 3...Karma will take care of them, I pray for their enlightenment.

@artician- You are correct in your observations the reason being....currently a recent victim of two HPD officers willing to perjure themselves before a jury in order to satisfy their egos and their state mandate to fill beds in their jails (or prison, had we decided not to take a plea down to keep them from sealing our fate).
Felony obstruction for mouthing-off in the back of a cop car to a couple of complete douchebags who could not stand that we would not let them treat us like some kid a couple of jocks would have bullied in junior high.

The official statement was alleged that their lives had been threatened which when in fact we surmised in colorful detail their mommy and daddy issues, their obvious history of abuse and or neglect, questioning their sexuality and manhood simultaneously, all while we voluntarily accompanied them into said car in cuffs from a girl's apartment after we gave them the benefit of the doubt and rendered I.D. to them and TOLD them we had a warrant for an unpaid traffic ticket.

Was in the home of a friend when her ADT system (installed a day earlier) sent a false alarm-They had tried to call her but she was passed-out with an I.V. in her arm (vitamin treatment) bed-ridden with a torn ligament. Cops came to the door, was just waking-up and (stupidly) let them in and addressed their incivility when they after determining that the alarm call was false, began to ask me what my "problem" was-Asked them why they had to act like a couple of uncivil douchebags in someone's home and asked politely if the one cop, would remove his dark sunglasses and that they were making me nervous.

This is Texas BTW, land of the most redneck fucks to be found anywhere in the planet of police.

Meet an an idiot who poked the rabid dogs with a stick and found soon that we had over-stepped our "freedom of speech."

Yeah, fucking pissed and for good reason. It's called a felony what they did, and with full-participation of the D.A. and the judge.

Ten years ago this would not have happened. we know because we have spoken our mind to arresting cunts before, as well as spoken like a gentleman to those treating us with the same consideration who represented the local constabulary.

All cops are or will be felons during the course for their tenure as a "peace officer', in the United States.

Now we must jump though many, many hoops to fulfill probation obligations, pay money we don't have, and if I make it through, will be able to have the case sealed, so that we might work again in this state without having a felony (never before) on our permanent record.

So this is Canada?? Your time is coming as well, just look at the show-out when the damn G-20 came to Canada a few years back.

They're gearing-up for chaos folks-
(collective object-pronoun used to avoid incrimination) If you are interested, we'll tell you why in a P.M. It's kind of hard not to be incensed while being kicked while prone.

Been bullied by cunts just like this on the sift before and those petty cowards are afraid to even show their asses here any longer.

No Jigga, you are wrong as well. The people who filmed this wish only to expose the rampant encroachment of the police into every aspect of civil society. The advent of technology in the hands of most people and the increasing awareness of the growing police state worldwide is one of the many stopgaps to a bleak future of decreased human rights and control of humanity by a small majority of agenda-oriented tyrants.

As far as police 'turning into' shitbag assholes? NO. Again you are wrong and completely clueless as tho the psychological profiling that goes on in the process towards someone becoming a 'law enforcement' dickbag.

Alpha types with low intellect and questionable imprint and socialization. Many come from abusive homes or generations of law enforcement. Many in the U.S. are members of or are sympathetic to, the clan and other such organizations or fraternities. MOST are racist, sexist, etc. Many police, were they not accepted into academies of sanctioned thugs would become criminals. Some were very close to becoming gang members, petty criminals, etc.

They dredge from the damaged-goods of society to fill their ranks, and this only gets worse as people like you, and others detached from what really goes on, continue to come the defense of force as a means to control society.

Cops definitely don't need any help form a deluded general public to grow in ranks or develop new and improved ways to exercise force as an arm of those who would control society to their ends.

I can do this all fucking day long, and there will still be the voices of insipid dullards who have by choice, drunk the Kool Aide of "give a fuck as long as I have my MTV."

If you'd have a " bad attitude too if someone was heckling me for my entire career," chances are good you'd make an excellent state thug or sympathizer to the cause of safety over freedom.

Your argument is pathetic and week.

I wish the old had some common sense the young possesses. It seems to me bob that we just gravitate towards a different common sense, not a better. We become jaded and wiser.

Another fun fact, the older one gets the less right they get, past their 30s. This is because we stop caring about petty shit like the war on pot, women's right to choose and such. We get "wiser" as you say and stop frothing every time someone brings it up. (The only reason the elderly are more conservative than the young is that they come from an era that was more conservative. I am just pointing out that they lose it as they go, even if they have more of it to go with. Like heavy set people losing weight.)

Well done. Attack the person arguing without actually attempting to counter the argument itself. You definitely won that one (genuine lol at this end)

Your right to say we have nothing more to discuss at this stage though I guess, you have just proven more or less everything I was trying to articulate all along i.e. that you would rather live in a little bubble of ignorance than actually try to learn and grow. Character assassination and evasion basically = not having an argument. You could't engage with what I was actually saying so you just resorted to insults and petty circumstantial details (seriously having better things to do for 2 weeks makes my argument invalid?), TROLOLOLOLOL.

I'm really thankful that this video exists. Like many people, I thought this event was petty, overblown and greedy of the victim. I met a guy in college a couple years later who somehow knew the factual details, and he filled me in on exactly what this video shows and explains.
Since then I have met countless people who still comment about how "stupid" the whole thing was, as I had once believed, and not being able to express the level of misunderstanding for it, all I could ever tell them was "you just... don't... know..."

So annoyingly petty that they bleeped out the cussing. This day and age

I'm no fan of Kayne, but Kimmel's kind of a petty knob for this, appealing for the easy laughs.