Spy vs. Spy? The Snowden And Putin Lovefest

“Mr. Snowden, you are a former agent, a spy, I used to be working for an intelligence service; we are going to talk one professional language”

So began the obviously unplanned, completely random televised conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and American fugitive Edward Snowden. Two peas in a pod. A pair of “former” spies chatting each other up in front of an international broadcast audience. You could just feel the love.

Despite the insistence of PR agent and holder of all our secrets Glenn Greenwald that Edward Snowden never wanted to go to Russia and live under the watchful eye of Putin, he voluntarily got on a plane to Moscow when fleeing America. Now Snowden is gleefully acting as a propaganda agent for his Russian overseers. Appearing as a phone-in guest on a live television show with Putin, Snowden bashed the NSA before lobbing a softball at his new BFF.

“Does Russia intercept, store, or analyze in any way the communications of millions of individuals? And do you believe that simply increasing the effectiveness of intelligence or law enforcement investigations can justify placing societies, rather than subjects, under surveillance?”

Nothing can compare with the honesty and integrity of Vladimir Putin, so Snowden and Russians across the Motherland were no doubt comforted to learn from their leader that sort of surveillance is most definitely not allowed in Russia. America may engage in such oppressive operations but not Russia. Thanks for the call.

It remains a mystery to this writer how Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald remain a hero to many. The parallel to the support freeloading Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy enjoys is unmistakable. It’s the tendency to quickly embrace someone because they disagree with the same thing you do. Domestic spying is bad so Snowden must be good. The federal government is evil so Bundy is clearly a patriot.

Let’s be clear, Snowden is no whistleblower. Instead of simply exposing the wrongdoings of the NSA, he and Greenwald decided to do what they accused the American government of doing. They took control of our personal and state secrets and are releasing them to advance their own interests. And now Snowden sits in Russia, his head full of state secrets and his heart full of distain for his home country. It’s time to stop lionizing this fugitive and start identifying him for what he is and what Putin clearly knows. Snowden is a spy and no friend to America or Americans.

By: Mark Quincy Adams

A proud 'pragmatic progressive' Mark Quincy Adams has been a political
talk show host and prolific pontificator since 1992. Find him on Facebook and Twitter @politicalglutton