‘Bullsh**!’ Greenwald and Iraq Vet Blow Up on Real Time over Snowden Leaks

[jct74]

‘Bullsh*t!’ Greenwald and Iraq Vet Blow Up on Real Time over Snowden Leaks

by Josh Feldman | 10:53 pm, June 20th, 2014

During Friday night’s Real Time, Glenn Greenwald battled Paul Rieckhoff, Iraq War veteran and founder of Iraq and Afghansitan Veterans of America, in a massive shouting match over whether Edward Snowden‘s leaks damaged the country and helped the terrorists. And even Bill Maher had to push back on Greenwald, citing a Bush-era national security official he trusts who said Snowden actually did help the terrorists.

Rieckhoff was bothered by the fact that Snowden’s “hiding in Russia.” Greenwald shot back, “That is total bullshit!” They fought over why Snowden had to flee and the “systematic attack on whistleblowers” in the United States. Rieckhoff shouted, “How do you know the information he revealed did not cost American lives?”

They kept going back-and-forth over what Snowden did, with Greenwald asking somewhat bewilderedly, “So we’re just supposed to take the government’s word?” Rieckhoff responded, “And we’re supposed to take your word?”

Watch the video below, via HBO:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bjRs0q3yZw

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/bullsht-greenwald-and-iraq-vet-blow-up-on-real-time-over-snowden-leaks/

[Anti Federalist]

And even Bill Maher had to push back on Greenwald, citing a Bush-era national security official he trusts who said Snowden actually did help the terrorists.

Why does anybody bother giving that man an audience?

There are very few media talking heads I even bother enough to despise, but that man is one of them.

[Tod]

It was good to hear where the applause came in: whenever Greenwald made a point.

[Brian4Liberty]

Greenwald clearly won that debate. Maher just reveals himself as a big government Marxist neoconservative.

[robert68]

When the host is a stooge of empire propaganda, the deck is stacked against you.

[NIU Students for Liberty]

I fucking hate Bill Maher even more so after watching that clip. You're going to side with Richard Clark over Glenn Greenwald? Really?!

[RPfan1992]

A common logical fallacy statists like to use is "appeal to authority". A common example is the government is saying that Snowden is harming national security, therefore he is harming national security because the government says so and their opinion is more important because they are the government.

[BSWPaulsen]

The world needs more people like Greenwald. He may have conflicting views with us, as is his right, but he does us all a great justice in defending civil liberties.

[amy31416]

My god, Maher is such a tool.

[Cleaner44]

Statists gonna state.

[Constitutional Paulicy]

Maher is so annoying with his smug and condescending approach to comedy.

[PierzStyx]

Maher is so annoying with his smug and condescending approach to comedy.

The man is everything wrong with politics and the Left. And he is as funny as a baby being drowned in front of you.

[asurfaholic]

The world needs more people like Greenwald. He may have conflicting views with us, as is his right, but he does us all a great justice in defending civil liberties.

Us?

"WE" are a bunch of unique people with unique views on a wide array of topics.

As for me, I am eternally grateful that people like Greenwald and the host of others who are fighting this fight. They are taking on the beast head on.

[Bastiat's The Law]

The world needs more people like Greenwald. He may have conflicting views with us, as is his right, but he does us all a great justice in defending civil liberties.

He has less conflicting views than you might think and he's outstanding in the face of these statist freaks on the areas where he does agree with us.

[Bastiat's The Law]

Us?

"WE" are a bunch of unique people with unique views on a wide array of topics.

As for me, I am eternally grateful that people like Greenwald and the host of others who are fighting this fight. They are taking on the beast head on.

We get it, you're an anarchist hipster. You're sounding like the leftists now with their concern over pronouns.

[Spikender]

"I'm a libertarian, which means I'm against the government doing almost anything." - Bill Maher in 2000

Bullshit. I've never liked Bill Maher, even when he says something I agree with. He should've just shut his mouth and let them debate without trying to come in and state a sick opinion like that. Edward Snowden is a hero and always will be for waking up a large portion of the mundane population to corruption in our Government.

[asurfaholic]

We get it, you're an anarchist hipster. You're sounding like left now with their concern over pronouns.

Lol wut?

I'm not anarchist and lol

Did I say lol?

[jkr]

you know what REALLY put "our troops"
in danger?

waging a land war
IN FUCKING ASIA!!!

[dillo]

I am going to go against the grain here, I like Bill Maher's show and although I disagree with his politics on issues I think his show is hilarious. If I were a fundamentalist christian I wouldn't find him funny, but I also wouldn't bother watching his show. This show in particular had some good discussions.

Greenwald said that the soldiers that invaded Iraq could be viewed as terrorists and that soldier dude snapped back and there was an awkward silence after that

Towards the end they were talking about the return of paleoconservative ideas to the republican party, which I don't think is true because there is really only a handful of non neo conservative republican representitives IMO. They also talked about how the hard core war hawks are going to support Hilary instead of Rand Paul, it was interesting.

[ctiger2]

Snowden gave the documents to Greenwald. Greenwald is the one who's leaked everything.

[bolil]

Seemed like Greenwald was his usual ass kicking self. I wonder if they can use any of the unreleased documents as leverage to somehow affect a change in Casey Manning's situation. He did well to acknowledge the validity of just criticisms towards his course of action, ie why hasn't he released more? (although it seems to me the strategy of luring TPTB into making a claim and then releasing information that proves that claim false is a more effective policy... at least for Greenwald and the paper).

As far as Snowden "hiding" in Russia: Good for him. He isn't hiding, but he is depriving the drama addicted people of his generation of a story line. They adorn him in the clothes of Alcibiades, but the linens don't fit-- the aren't the sole tailors anymore. Snowden, methinks, has more to fear of Predator Drones than of Birnam Forests' arrival at Dunsinane.

[Philhelm]

And he is as funny as a baby being drowned in front of you.

I disagree. I don't think he's funny at all.

[BSWPaulsen]

Us?

"WE" are a bunch of unique people with unique views on a wide array of topics.

As for me, I am eternally grateful that people like Greenwald and the host of others who are fighting this fight. They are taking on the beast head on.

The site is mostly libertarian/anarcho-capitalist when it comes to its members. There is an "us" that I am accurately referring to, given his plethora of rather left-leaning views.

If you're not part of that "us", what does it matter? Seriously.

[NewRightLibertarian]

Bill Maher sold his soul to serve the terrorist dictator Obama because he thought it would be cool to support the black president. He deserves no sympathy, and should be looked at as among the worst of the worst.

[CPUd]

A year later and they are still having the same argument.

[asurfaholic]

The site is mostly libertarian/anarcho-capitalist when it comes to its members. There is an "us" that I am accurately referring to, given his plethora of rather left-leaning views.

If you're not part of that "us", what does it matter? Seriously.

Because some of "us" hate being thrown into a collective group.

It helps to be mindful of that.

And I don't believe this site is made of of mostly libertarians and anarchists.. There's lots of more traditional republicans, some social conservatives, some outright liberals who liked ron Paul, some anarchists, and most seem to like liberty, but also most have different core values.

As for me, I'm not putting myself in any group. I'm registered republican, but can't bring myself to give a shit about most GOP functions, and I'm not a libertarian and I'm not an anarchist. I'm a just leave me the fuck alone type person.

[purplechoe]

I can't stand the way he makes light of serious issues. Stewart does it too but in a much better way then Maher. Maher is an idiot. I can't understand why anyone would give him a platform to espouse his idiocy...

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/e2/e22fa226435324a4ffe160605551ec9d0e22880389ddaa17b7 1936ea36099966.jpg

[ChristianAnarchist]

"Those leaked secrets cost American Lives!!!" "Which American lives?" "I can't tell you, it's a secret..."

[Dogsoldier]

Well I mean yea it may cost American lives if its revealed....That's not the whistle blowers fault that's the governments fault for keeping secrets in the first place. Its should have been transparent and planned ahead in the first place to keep it from "costing American lives"....

The argument "Why is Snowden staying in Russia" Is laughable.

This is the age of the patriot act, NDAA....If Snowden came back he would face possibly being tortured, thrown in a cage and never hearing about him again, he would be thrown in a cage and kept there, denied any outside contact from anyone such as a lawyer,his family....I mean....Would you come back? I know I wouldn't!

[limequat]

That guy was a fool for thinking he could argue with Greenwald.

[Philhelm]

This is the age of the patriot act, NDAA....If Snowden came back he would face possibly being tortured, thrown in a cage and never hearing about him again, he would be thrown in a cage and kept there, denied any outside contact from anyone such as a lawyer,his family....I mean....Would you come back? I know I wouldn't!

Truthfully, Snowden would be too high-profile for all of that. But he would be thrown into a rape cage after a façade trial.

[BSWPaulsen]

Because some of "us" hate being thrown into a collective group.

It helps to be mindful of that.

And I don't believe this site is made of of mostly libertarians and anarchists.. There's lots of more traditional republicans, some social conservatives, some outright liberals who liked ron Paul, some anarchists, and most seem to like liberty, but also most have different core values.

As for me, I'm not putting myself in any group. I'm registered republican, but can't bring myself to give a shit about most GOP functions, and I'm not a libertarian and I'm not an anarchist. I'm a just leave me the fuck alone type person.

You're not in the collective group I referred to, so... Who cares? You already knew you weren't party to it, so why bother protesting?

And I'm pretty sure that even if the site is not mostly libertarian/anarcho-capitalist, then the majority would still find Greenwald's economic views to be antithetical to theirs for the most part.

[A Son of Liberty]

Oh that's right, something bad might happen at some point to someone, so TO HELL WITH YOUR RIGHTS. We have to allow the government to spy on us, and for us to never know about it, because there is a chance that something bad might happen to someone working for the government.

What kind of logic is this?

I do not want to see harm come to anyone, even those who deserve it. But I'll be damned if I'll be a part of keeping "state secrets" that destroy human liberty.

To hell with these people.

[Henry Rogue]

A year later and they are still having the same argument.Repetition is an affective tool of propaganda.

Directing the debate obfuscates the issue. Last year when discussing the state's spying, a friend asked me, "but, do you think Snowden is a hero?" I responded "For me he is because I value Liberty, but your question is unimportant and directs the discussion away from his revelations that are important." That, thankfully ended the sidetracking attempt. I wouldn't be surprised if my friend had been listening to some talking head that was focused on the hero versus villain narrative. I probably had read a discussion in a RPF thread that played out the whole hero vs. Nonhero argument. Had I not, I probably would not have been prepared to refocus the discussion. I'm not a gifted verbal debater like Glenn Greenwald, I wish I was, but it pays to be prepared.