Snowden's so-called whistleblower information was only regarding the collection of data on US Citizens. If that was his problem why did he release information on our intelligence gathering sources and methods on foreign governments? He could have leaked the information with proof regarding the tapping at AT&T, Verizon, Google, etc without releasing information that damaged our foreign intelligence gathering. He didn't. They are two different things and the majority of what he has released and continues to release is regarding our foreign operations which are legal, legitimate, and exactly what these agencies are tasked with doing.

Did he flee there or retire there? Putin isn't interested in annoying the US. He is interested in rebuilding the Soviet Union period. If it doesn't further his goal of accomplishing that he isn't going to waste his time. Snowden was a Putin spy.

I never said I agree with it or that I'm alright with it. What I said is that our politicians are okay with it. Even after all the revelations by Snowden what has changed? The only thing that has changed is that the United States national security has been weakened. The programs continue. The people are ignorant sheep in this country and can get riled up and manipulated so easily that it is frightening. All it takes to make problems go away is for a leak of some nudies though so thinking that Snowden dumping the United States intelligence secrets is going to change anything is naive. The only thing it will change is the behavior of our enemies. What we can do to put the brakes on the rapid decline of the United States into a Socialist Police State is beyond me. I don't think we can anymore until it all comes apart. I used to be an optimist, but after what this administration has been able to get away with I am now a realist.

What has Snowden revealed about our intelligence gathering against Russia who is the most serious threat to the United States? >crickets What Snowden has revealed are 1) information that will turn the people against our government, military, and intelligence gathering agencies. 2) Information that will embarrass us and our allies 3) Information that will weaken our ability to gather information against our enemies 4) information that will drive a wedge between the United States and our Allies In other words everything Snowden has released is designed to weaken the United States. Where is the leaked information about the United States planting bugs in Russian embassies? Why only leaks regarding our strongest allies and not any of our enemies? I've always been against the formation of the Department of Homeland Security. I'm against our collecting mass information about the citizens of the United States. Obama has already proven that that information can and will be used against the people in order to maintain power (IRS). That does not mean we should celebrate traitors to our country. There are means to work within the system to correct it. There are avenues to get the basic information regarding illegal programs into the hands of the public without damaging our national security. Remember Watergate? Remember Iran-Contra? That information got out. Why the need to continue the constant dripping of our greatest national secrets now? And I've been in the Telecommunications and Internet industry for a long time. It has never been a secret that our intelligence agencies have taps into our communications system at least not in the industry and not in Congress. Congress passes the funding for these ventures. Congress knows and that's including the ones who are feining outrage now. CALEA is public record so you can only imagine what isn't. I have heard the stories, one in particular from a guy who worked for a major ILEC who helped facilitate the interconnection and handoffs from the central office to a government agency in California. This was 15 years ago when I heard the story. Everyone knows. If you didn't then you are willfully ignorant.

Really? You honestly believe that he just happened to find safe haven in Russia at the same time Putin begins stepping up his aggression against former Soviet states? Obviously the answer you are looking for is Russia. Stupid because I use my real name and you accuse me of being a troll? Which one of us hides behind anonymity? I have nothing to hide and I'm not so ashamed of my beliefs that I have to disguise who I am when I voice my opinions.

http://www.washingtontimes.com... Lots of people are dying at the hands of rabid animals in Iraq and Syria and those animals are using leaked information by Snowden to evade the good guys (which by the way is us).

Snowden was/is clearly a communist spy whose sole objective was to harm the United States. The NSA is one of a few dozen alphabet agencies that have grown out of control and drunk on their power. Smaller government means less potential for government to do evil. People should be going to jail at the IRS and the NSA. The media should be all over both of these agencies and they are not. That should scare you more than any of Snowden's revelations. Quit worshipping this weasel traitor. We can be angry at what the NSA is doing without celebrating a traitor than has and will cause good people to die with his aid to our enemies.

In Texas the State forced the Electric Utility to separate the delivery/distribution and generation portions of the business. Everyone pays the same fee for the distribution/delivery (infrastructure) and you are free to choose which provider generates the electricity you use. Of course there is a bit of a sham there in that many of the largest providers in Texas are all owned by the same holding company but it has helped bring a TINY bit of competition and downward pressure on electricity here. In this model a Solar/Wind customer would still be required to pay a monthly fee for the infrastructure and would pay or be paid based on their net usage or surplus generation of electricity. Of course I have no idea if that is actually what happens here in Texas and since it makes some sense, I actually doubt it. :)

Interesting. My Grandfather actually created a crude version of this as a teenager. He and his brother tied a paper sack full of firecrackers to a cat's tail and then set it on fire. Unfortunately the cat ran into the neighbor's hay barn and it burned to the ground. The cat survived but my Grandfather barely did once my Great-Grandmother got done with him. He and his brother then spent their summer break rebuilding the neighbor's barn.