Former President Carter Throws Support Snowden's Way

According to German newspaper Der Spiegel, former President Jimmy Carter threw his support behind National Security Agency surveillance leaker Edward Snowden. Carter apparently did so at a private event in Atlanta, which means his comments have been translated into German and then back into English. The Huffington Post notes:

Former President Jimmy Carter announced support for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden this week, saying that his uncovering of the agency's massive surveillance programs had proven "beneficial."

Speaking at a closed-door event in Atlanta covered by German newspaper Der Spiegel, Carter also criticized the NSA's domestic spying as damaging to the core of the nation's principles.

"America does not have a functioning democracy at this point in time," Carter said, according to a translation by Inquisitr.

No American outlets covered Carter's speech, given at an Atlantic Bridge meeting, which has reportedly led to some skepticism over Der Spiegel's quotes. But Carter's stance would be in line with remarks he's made on Snowden and the issue of civil liberties in the past.

The quotes don't appear to be verified independently of Der Spiegel as yet, but Carter did tell CNN that the invasion of Americans' privacy has gone too far and that the secrecy surrounding the NSA's surveillance program was too excessive.

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Comments

[Sevo]

It would be very pleasing if the United States had a functioning press which reported what was going on in our country.
While I appreciate the efforts of Der Spiegel and The Guardian, it just seems a shame we don't have such organizations here.

[Hyperion]

The Mail Online does a better job of reporting US news than what our own MSM does. Of course, that's not saying much when our own MSM ignores absolutely everything that doesn't fit their political agenda.

[Fatty Bolger]

Godammit, Jimmy, shut the fuck up. You're not helping.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Look at Carter go. First he agrees with the Zimmerman verdict and now this.

It's amazing how much of important information is being reported by German and British papers.

[Emmerson Biggins]

Ya, the peanut fucker is on a roll today.

[Hyperion]

I've never been one to give a rats arse what that old gas bag has to say. And I still don't. But I agree with him, for once.

Looks like ol Jimmah will finally be booted out of the lefty club, for daring to go against the group think supporting dear leader.

He'll be set upon by the foaming mouth proglotard tribe, and they will stew his bones for porridge.

[Palin's Buttplug]

You would be wrong yet again.

The idiots over at DailyKos are all agreeing with Carter.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/.....-democracy

[Caligula]

Read the comments, butthurt; they're agreeing with Carter because they've found a way to blame the NSA spying on the Red Tribe. These people are as intellectually bankrupt as.....you.

[Hyperion]

I can't wait to see the comments at HuffPo. But I can already tell you without looking, that they are fully ready to have Carter labeled a terrorist and murder-droned.

[Nazdrakke]

I can't wait to see the comments at HuffPo.

Better you than me. I mean, I can clench my teeth and read the comments at most Reich-winger sites but for some reason reading the brain-droppings of people who would seemingly be gleeful at the prospect of their political opponents being sent to the camps is just something I can't take for more than like 30 seconds. Glad some out there can tolerate it better and provide us the intel.

[Hyperion]

I don't really know why I have a higher tolerance to HuffPo, than to some other places, like Salon, Jezebel, or Politico.

I used to post at both HuffPo and Politico. I lasted longer at HuffPo, and I still read posts there in some naive hope that these people will finally snap out of their kool-aid induced trance. Silly me.

Politico has the most insane posters on the web, hands down. It is a literal den of stupidity.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

-I can't wait to see the comments at HuffPo. But I can already tell you without looking, that they are fully ready to have Carter labeled a terrorist and murder-droned.

They seem fairly divided, if anything more supportive of Carter than against.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....f=politics

[Duke]

You mean like this one:

Oh, President Carter, while I have deep respect for your opinions, I totally disagree with your summation of Edward Snowden. In my view, Snowden is a wannabe anarchist! His purpose was to create worldwide chaos and bring down his country. Snowden could have passed his information to any number of progressive politicos and he could stayed in the USA and stood his ground. The guy is a coward and a nutcase for going to China and Russia!

[Hyperion]

He dared speak against the annointed savior. That's blasphemy in the group think tribe of proglotardia.

The guy is a coward and a nutcase for going to China and Russia!

And just the day before, this same person was singing the praises of Chairman Mao and all things socialist.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Did you really just try to rebut the claim "They seem fairly divided, if anything more supportive of Carter than against" by pointing to one comment there?

[Irish]

Did you really just try to rebut the claim "They seem fairly divided, if anything more supportive of Carter than against" by pointing to one comment there?

I don't think he was trying to rebut the claim. I just think people here enjoy mocking HuffPo comments when given the opportunity.

[Hyperion]

Did you really just try to rebut the claim "They seem fairly divided, if anything more supportive of Carter than against" by pointing to one comment there?

Not commenting on your comment, but I have to say, this is one of the most delusional things I have ever heard:

Snowden could have passed his information to any number of progressive politicos and he could stayed in the USA and stood his ground.

I don't think that Duke was trying to prove a point as much as pointing out the typical lunacy of some of the posters over there.

Yeah, right, just give yourself over to the 'progressives' in congress, that's the ticket. If you want to see how fast you can be railroaded to Gitmo and tortured.

[Irish]

Oh, President Carter, while I have deep respect for your opinions

This is probably the first time anyone has ever said this.

[Sevo]

No. Rosalynn said that at least once.

[Sevo]

"they're agreeing with Carter because they've found a way to blame the NSA spying on the Red Tribe."

Yeah, see, Obozo really wants to stop spying, but BUUUUUUUUSH! So he really can't, see?

[Palin's Buttplug]

You're full of shit or didn't read it.

DKos has hated Obama since he campaigned for the market-based ACA over single-payer in the summer of 2009. They hate all corporations - especially health insurers, oil companies, and banks. Every time Jamie Dimon met with Obama the retards over their broke into conniption fits. And Obama picked a Wall St financial team to put around him they cry.

By the way, I signed on b/c I heard Darrell Issa had "huge news" on the IRS fake scandal. Can't find a word about it.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

If you don't talk to people from a group you likely don't know what they think. While there are a lot of 'low information' supporters of Obama who defend anything he does the types of people I know who are likely to read Daily Kos and other 'netroots' websites see Obama as a huge disappointment at best (of course, they are often disappointed that he hasn't gone far enough in trampling things we care about).

[Sevo]

..."the types of people I know who are likely to read Daily Kos and other 'netroots' websites see Obama as a huge disappointment at best"...

In SF, this is a common trope, but it's followed by the excuse that the rethuglicans are forcing him to do what he doesn't want.
Given that I'm pleased he isn't doing as much damage as he could, it's still disappointing to hear from those idiots that Obozo is not to blame. He's never to blame! He wants to do right, but BUUUSH!

[Gozer the Gozerian]

I can vouch for this: All of my "liberal" acquaintances are quite disappointed (and surprised) by Obama for not being "liberal" enough.

[Hyperion]

By liberal, do they mean progressive? Or actually liberal?

[Gozer the Gozerian]

As current American "liberalism" is Orwellian, I think it's self-explanatory.

[Sevo]

"I think it's self-explanatory."

Yeah, but let's be clear: 'The guy hasn't nationalized the entire business sector yet, so he's a failure!'
Classical liberalism has nothing to do with it.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

American "liberalism": Reverse engineering One Big Union since that idea failed!

[Hyperion]

It's sort of like the 'capitalism isn't working' fallacy.

It's hard to tell when you don't know the difference between free markets (which we don't have ), and cronyism (which we have in abundance).

[Nazdrakke]

on the IRS fake scandal.

Every now and then you make a casual remark that helps take my loathing of you and your ideology to another level.

This is one of those time.

You are disgusting, PB. The worst kind of boot-licker and sycophant. You are utterly convinced that, should all of your desires come to pass, you will be among the favored. You think you will be shielded from that which you would inflict on others.

But you won't.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Outside a few IRS employees the "scandal" does not exist anymore. A senior GOP IRS officer testified the shenanigans were confined to the agency.

If that gets you lathered up I don't give a fuck.

[Nazdrakke]

If that gets you lathered up I don't give a fuck.

I know you don't: You are disgusting, PB. The worst kind of boot-licker and sycophant.

[Sevo]

Palin's Buttplug| 7.18.13 @ 7:41PM |#
"Outside a few IRS employees the "scandal" does not exist anymore"

Yeah, you steaming pile of shit:
"Inspector: IRS Didn't Give Docs About Progressive Group Targeting"
http://reason.com/24-7/2013/07.....about-prog"
"Lois Lerner Said To Have Slowed IRS Review of Tea Party Applications"
http://reason.com/24-7/2013/07.....d-irs-revi
There's more, dipshit, but there's a limit on links, and since your head is shoved so far up your ass, it doesn't really matter.
You are a despicable excuse for a human life form.

[Finrod]

If he chose his positions randomly he'd be right a lot more often.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

-Outside a few IRS employees the "scandal" does not exist anymore.

I guess you didn't see this headline today:

IRS chief counsel's office involved in targeting controversy

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....ntroversy/

[Sevo]

"I guess you didn't see this headline today:"

That pile of shit you're addressing is the poster-turd of those who will never admit Obozo could ever be wrong.
ANY activity, up to and including, oh, blowing the world to smithereens, will be explained as: "BUUUUUUUUUSH!"

[Irish]

I guess you didn't see this headline today:

IRS chief counsel's office involved in targeting controversy

He also must have missed the story about the IRS 'accidentally' going after Christine O'Donnell beginning the day that she won the Republican primary. I'm sure that's just a coincidence.

[Ayn Random Variation]

It rubs the lotion on it's skin.....

[Hyperion]

He'll defend anything that Obama or his administration does. Doesn't matter what it is.

[yonemoto]

deregulation of airlines... Carter wasn't actually a horrible president. He's mostly been a horrible after-president, but it looks like he's rehabilitating. He's like the inverse nixon - horrible president, rehabilitated after-presidency.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Carter deregulated airlines, trucking, gas exploration, and banking (the was the Monetary Control Act of 1980).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.....ct_of_1980

Carter was without question the most libertarian POTUS since Coolidge. No intervention, no income tax hikes, great job creation, returned Panama Canal, etc.

We discussed this before. No one could dispute with facts.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Most of that was post-1979, after the Republicans took back the House of Representatives in a landslide sweep.

Carter had a very similar political trajectory to Clinton up to his first term, without the good economy that let Clinton hold onto the Presidency.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Dems held 277 House seats after the 1978 election (and 58 seats in the Senate).

I bring facts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.....ions,_1978

[Palin's Buttplug]

Certainly you did not mean all the Carter dereg occurred after the Nov 1980 GOP sweep?

In the lame duck time period of two months?

No, you could not have meant that.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

What the hell are you talking about. I mean the 1978 elections which led to a 15-seat loss, which changed the trajectory of Carter's governance significantly in an attempt to restore his party's political fortunes.

All of the bills that you note passed with larger Republican margins than Dem margins.

[Palin's Buttplug]

So what?

Carter hobbled together a GOP/Dem coalition to accomplish libertarian objectives? Carter led the dereg bandwagon.

Give the guy the Ayn Rand Medal of Distinction.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Carter led the dereg bandwagon.

...oy.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Carter even deregulated beer production.

This is how fucked up the Peanut Gallery is. You can't admit what Carter accomplished even when faced with the evidence.

Because 80% of you are TEAM RED loyalists.

[Palin's Buttplug]

And you said this - I quote.

Republicans took back the House of Representatives in a landslide sweep

That did not happen until Reagan was elected.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Actually it didn't happen at all until the 90s. Someone corrected my brainfart below.

Republicans won control of the Senate at the start of Reagan's term to later lose it again.

[Cytotoxic]

You forgot the windfall taxes on oil companies and the continued use of price and wage controls in your hagioblowjob captain dipshit.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

-Most of that was post-1979, after the Republicans took back the House of Representatives in a landslide sweep.

Is that in an alternate universe version of our House of Representatives? Because in our dimension the Democrats controlled the House from 1955 to the 103rd Congress (the 1994 elections).

[The Immaculate Trouser]

My mistake. I mixed up a 15-seat pickup with the flip that occurred in the 90s.

Nonetheless the change in political trajectory was significant after this point.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

I will say this in Carter's favor, though: he was about as reformist as Clinton during his governorship in Georgia. IIRC he pushed for the end of the last pieces of racist legislation still extant and was generally remembered as an integrationist. He also modernized a very antiquated government structure in Georgia, mostly for the better. It is not surprising that he was willing to change course on bad policy where some other Dem Presidents would not have been.

[Cytotoxic]

Good governors often become lousy presidents for some reason.

[Cytotoxic]

Good governors often become lousy presidents for some reason.

[Cytotoxic]

Good governors often become lousy presidents for some reason.

[CE]

And he spent about a quarter of what Obama is spending.

[Mickey Rat]

Started giving military aid to Egypt as a bribe in the Camp David Accords.

[Killazontherun]

I'm use to seeing Jimmy come out saying something sensible every so often, but twice in one week must be a presidential record for any ex.

[MJGreen]

When you've lost Jimmy Carter... or something...

[Sevo]

"When you've lost Jimmy Carter..."
He doesn't build your house for you.

[David Emami]

"Stopped clock, twice a day" and all that.

[Caligula]

"America does not have a functioning democracy at this point in time," Carter said, according to a translation by Inquisitr.

No you fucking peanut farmer, America does not have a functioning republic at this point in time.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

"It is clear to me now that the Republic no longer functions."

You're welcome!

[darius404]

Now stop calling me 'History's Greatest Monster!'

Psh! Everyone knows history's greatest monster is Sugarfree.

[A Serious Man]

In a literal sense of the word, yes.

[Nazdrakke]

I thought History's Greatest Monster is Warty, SugarFree is his bard, and Epi is his prophet?

What's the exact libertarian canon on this?

[Hyperion]

You've figured it out.

Sugarfree is getting put way too high up on the axis of evil totem pole.

Warty is the greatest monster of all time, Epi is his evil false prophet, and SugarFree is only his sinister toady.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

I thought they were the Anti-Trinity from the Book of Revelation: Dragon, Beast, and False Prophet.

[Hyperion]

Something like that. I just can't wait until Warty assumes world domination so that he can unleash the horrors of Libertarianism on the innocent snowflakes of Terra Gaia.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Libertopia is Wartageddon?

[Joe M]

Carter was also quoted as saying, "Snowden is putting these American pigdogs in their place. Hail victory!"

[Suthenboy]

I am not sure what to say to Jimmah. Maybe a fuck you very much for helping advance the forces that brought us here. I guess this is just another unexpected result of leftist policies.

[Hyperion]

Some friends of mine, just the other night Went to hear this Cool Cat blow.

They say he sang so good that the roof fell in And they didn't even stop the show.

They don't remember the place, but they remember the face.

And now everybody wanna go.

Top Jimmy cooks.

Top Jimmy swings.

He's got the look.

Top Jimmy, he's the king

[CE]

That's all well and good, but if spilling the beans about secret info the public ought to know is fine with Mr. Carter, when is he going to tell us what's really going on at Area 51, and where the aliens from the Roswell crash are kept?

[Paul.]

o American outlets covered Carter's speech, given at an Atlantic Bridge meeting, which has reportedly led to some skepticism over Der Spiegel's quotes.

Is this going to turn into another "Carter supports Marijuana Legalization!" urban myth?

[A Screaming]

Well he's still the best hope you have. Enjoy your pathetic marginalism for eternity gumptionless whiners.

[Cytotoxic]

AhHAHA ha

No.

[Eduard van Haalen]

American media questions the accuracy of the Speigel report because
"No American outlets covered Carter's speech" - uh, why was the Spiegel reporter there and the American media AWOL? Was this an Oktoberfest celebration? Was Merkel doing a strip-tease? Did the Krauts somehow realize the importance of the meeting while the Americans didn't? Or did the American media call in sick because they were so bummed at the lack of riots after the Zimmerman verdict?

[Sevo]

Eduard van Haalen| 7.18.13 @ 10:12PM |#
"American media questions the accuracy of the Speigel report because
"No American outlets covered Carter's speech" -"

FUNNY!
Or pathetic.
'We chose not to see it so it doesn't exist.'

[anon]

Quite honestly, the more I read about the Carter presidency, the more I like him. Lately he's been a little unhinged, but I blame that on him being old and getting senile.