Feigned Indignation on Snowden and Obama's African Vacation

Dear Mark: I am very conservative — almost a complete libertarian — and I can't decide if Edward Snowden, the leaker who is hiding in China, is a hero or a punk. I'm against the government intrusion into our lives, yet at the same time this guy seems a little shady, and I'm not sure I trust his true motives. Do you think he's a hero, a punk or maybe even a traitor, as some have said? — American Patriot

Dear Patriot: In my book he's definitely not a hero because he could have chosen a much better avenue to release this information. Tucking tail and running to hide in Hong Kong is not exactly heroic in my book, especially since the communist Chinese might want to have a "private word or two" with Snowden and discuss the classified security clearance he has so brazenly bragged about.

With that being said, the fact remains that our government was caught with its pants down, and Snowden exposed what many of us suspected anyway — that the government has been examining our phone and Internet records without our consent.

The widely used political strategy of discrediting the messenger has once again been employed. The administration and even some Republicans are trying desperately to change the narrative and focus on Snowden's unscrupulous actions in order to deflect attention from the massive unconstitutional government intrusion that has taken place.

It's almost comical to watch politicians of all stripes feign whiny indignation — acting as if terrorists didn't know the technology existed to track people through their cellphones. Who didn't know that? My cellphone provider can pinpoint the exact physical location of my phone as we speak, and if I walk outside it can probably provide a satellite image in a matter of seconds of it in my back left pocket.

Don't get me wrong, I'm concerned about some of the other classified information Snowden might be concealing, but it remains to be seen if he actually has anything of substance that could end up in the wrong hands.

In the meantime, just because someone may be slimy doesn't necessarily invalidate the information they provide. Remember, on a daily basis criminals are offered plea bargains and immunity from prosecution in exchange for information that is perfectly legitimate and admissible in court.

Right now Snowden may be nothing more than a punk going after his 15 minutes of fame, but I'll withhold the traitor designation when and if that other shoe drops. For Snowden's sake, he'd better hope all of his bluster doesn't backfire and result in a few bamboo shoots under his fingernails.

Dear Mark: The Washington Post is reporting that President Obama's upcoming trip to Africa is going to cost taxpayers anywhere from $60 million to $100 million. I realize that previous presidents have travelled in the name of diplomacy, but this appears frivolous considering the current state of our economy and federal budget deficit. What is he thinking? — Travelin Band

Dear Travelin: That's the problem — President Obama is not thinking and appears tone deaf to the plight of millions of Americans. According to CBS News online, "Mr. Obama and his family will take an eight-day trip to sub-Saharan Africa, making stops in Senegal, Tanzania and South Africa in the name of reinforcing U.S. commitment to forging strong relationships with emerging democracies in the region." Allow me to translate: The president and first family are taking a vacation on your dime before Obama's presidential charge card expires.

The bigger question I have is this: Why all of the expense for security? I thought that the entire world loved us now because George Bush is no longer president.

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