By Joe Honick
Does anyone remember Ed Snowden, the guy who took up protected residence in Russia a while back?
You know: he’s the fellow who fled the US after blowing the whistle on a mass of secrets at the National Security Agency.
For those who may have forgotten, he is still working away in Moscow where he has described life as fun and stimulating.
This is the same place that serves as headquarters for Vladimir Putin, the power behind heavy-duty military actions against Ukraine, which has much of the world nervous about the daily bloodshed and how the whole mess will turn out.
With such realities, why is no one seemingly even interested that Snowden has set up his own apparently comfortable nest in such a place when, after all, his announced original complaints that America was and continues to snoop on its citizens and some pretty leading folks from other countries….while never having said a nasty word about the dictatorial Russian boss?
Where are the media that so energetically helped publicize Snowden’s revelations and carried his photograph for days after his flight from the United States?
But, more to the point, with Snowden actually gathering masses of supporters who agreed that alleged NSA oversteps needed fixing, why has he never said one word about the Russian leader’s punishing those who criticized him or other Putin actions?
It is of course unrealistic for Snowden, as a fairly celebrated guest, to do anything that would attack his powerful host. On the other hand, Snowden’s powerful claims related to principle, concern for what is right and wrong, especially in governmental actions… or so he claimed.
There are, after all, other countries he might get to who are not all that friendly to America, places that would get him out from under any Putin control. So why does he stay where he is? More importantly: why are no media of any consequence even asking the question?
After all, he must have bills to pay. After all this time, where does the money come from…and, again, why is no one asking about it?
Or, more to the point, are Snowden and his buddy Glenn Greenwald near completion of their tell-all book that must have been underway?
Where will they hold the big announcement? Who is the publisher? More to the point, what will be heir payoff in rubles and/or dollars?
Finally, if all that had been said about Snowden was on target, why have the media simply forgotten him altogether?
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Joe Honick is president of GMA International in Bainbridge Island, Wash.
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