For example, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff complained today Snowden’s disclosures have undermined ‘importance of trust’ with other countries.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman says NSA leaker Edward Snowden’s disclosures about U.S. surveillance programs have undermined U.S. relationships with other countries and affected what he calls “the importance of trust.”Hypocrites and Bullies
Gen. Martin Dempsey told CNN’s “State of the Union” in an interview broadcast Sunday that the U.S. will “work our way back. But it has set us back temporarily.”
The head of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, told he “absolutely” thinks that one of the countries will give Snowden travel documents.
Rogers, R-Mich., said the U.S. should look at trade agreements with the nations that are offering asylum “to send a very clear message that we won’t put up with this kind of behavior.”
Sen. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he wasn’t surprised that those nations were offering asylum. “They like sticking it to the United States,” Mendendez, D-N.J., told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
He also mentioned re-examining U.S. trade policies and foreign aid to any country that might take in Snowden.
“Clearly such acceptance of Snowden to any country ... is going to put them directly against the United States, and they need to know that,” he said.
- Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Rep. Mike Rogers, Head of the House Intelligence Committee,
- Sen. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
I would like to point out to all three gentlemen one important fact: Edward Snowden did not undermine trust.
There was no trust to undermine. All Snowden did was prove the obvious.
If there was any trust the US would not have been bugging the offices of the EU and Germany. If there was any trust, France would not be spying on us.
Bullies, Bribes, and Foreign Aid
Please note the bullying by US imperialists. Rep. Mike Rogers (R) proposes “to send a very clear message that we won’t put up with this kind of behavior.”
Excuse Me! What about unconscionable spying by the US on its alleged allies?
Countries should send a very clear message to the US that they will not put up with our severely misguided imperialism. And they probably would except they fear the US might cut off aid.
If you are looking for a reason very few countries have offered Snowden asylum (see Venezuela, Nicaragua offer asylum to Snowden; Double Standards and Hypocrite Allies), you now have an answer.
Thus, we can all thank Rogers for explaining that US foreign aid is really nothing but bribery so the imperialists, war-mongers, and hypocrites can continue their ways with impunity, totally clueless they are the ones directly responsible for the undermined trust.
Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
