Edward Snowden, asylum and foreign relations
The United States made a formal application to the government of Hong Kong to extradite Edward Snowden. Instead of complying, they let him leave and fly to Moscow. In spite of the fact his passport had already been revoked and a proper warrant for his arrest had been issued.
Russia may or may not hold on to Snowden. His passport has been revoked, so they shouldn't allow him to exit the country.
Ecuador has stated they will grant Snowden political asylum. Cuba is also rumored to be a possible final destination for his flight from justice here at home.
Fine. Let Ecuador grant him asylum. Let Cuba grant him asylum. Let Russia give him asylum.
After whoever gives him refuge makes that decision, the President should respond thusly.
1. You are hereby given the requisite notice that the United States is withdrawing from our mutual treaty of extradition.
2. Criminals you seek to extradite from the United States will not be returned.
3. With the sole exception of humanitarian assistance during a natural disaster or other crisis, all future requests for official assistance from the United States will be refused.
I've read the extradition treaty between Ecuador and the United States (it is only four or so pages). It does contain an exception for someone being accused of a "political crime". You can make an argument that the information that Edward Snowden had been granted access to being released is a political crime. But there is no argument that would excuse his theft of classified information that he had NOT been granted access to. That is theft. That is espionage.
Let's suppose for a moment that you have a very noble purpose. You want to feed homeless people but you don't have enough money to do it as well as you'd like. So, since you're assistant manager of a bank branch, you sneak into the vault one night and steal $100,000 and spend every penny of it on those hungry homeless people. Are you guilty of theft or not? I think you are. What Snowden did is precisely the same thing, as regards the theft of information he had not been cleared to access.
One last thought for the day on Snowden. Wasn't the "ends justify the means" defense used by the defenders of what Ollie North did? Why was it wrong then, but it's okay now? The official U.S. position was to support the Contras in Nicaraugua. That's all Ollie was trying to do.
* * *
Stuff I'm Pondering today includes:
World of Wheels will close its doors for the last time tonight. The L.A. Times had a nice article on the roller rink, but it ignored the bowling alley upstairs, which is also closing. Plus, there's something about this article I'm having trouble digesting. It says:
"World on Wheels, the last full-fledged indoor roller skating rink in the city of Los Angeles..." It also says:
"From now on, he and his comrades will be traveling farther — to Cerritos, Glendale, Northridge, Chino — to experience that Zen." Skateland Roller Rink is located in Northridge, which is within the city limits of Los Angeles. I sent the author a nice email about this, and she responded, thanking me for not being "snarky". She'd already submitted a correction.
Why are people surprised (some are shocked) that the new "Monster's University"
Will people start going to WalMart just to get the best toilet paper now that Consumer Reports has just disclosed that the top brand in their study of the best toilet paper is sold only at WalMart?
What would be the reason someone felt the need to tell people that Drew Brees was involved in an accident? I don't get the attraction to creating a hoax about someone famous.
What in the world is "unsupervised probation?" Lisa Robin Kelly, who was a member of the cast of "That 70's Show" served 12 months of unsupervised probation when she was busted for DUI in North Carolina in 2010. Now she's been busted for a DUI here in Southern California. Will they supervise her probation this time, if she's convicted?
Will people ever learn that when you shoot a gun loaded with a real bullet into the air, that bullet will land somewhere and it could kill someone? That nearly happened after Miami's win in Game 7. A 15 year old boy was grazed in the head by a bullet someone had fired into the air. He wasn't seriously hurt, but he will carry a scar for the rest of his life. Try blanks, people.
* * *
CALPERS found a way to get hospitals to cut the amount they charge for hip and knee replacements. They lowered their cap on reimbursement. As a result, 40 of the more expensive hospitals in the state cut their charge for those procedures significantly in order not to lose patients. Imagine that. The laws of economics at work.
Given a choice between charging what they want to get paid, and what they can get paid based on the perceived value of the service in the marketplace, these hospitals made the smart choice. Apparently they can still do this and make money, or they wouldn't be doing it. Health insurance companies in the private sector already know this. That's how the Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) work.
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 1611, Henry Hudson, his son and seven loyal crew members are set adrift in an open boat on what is now known as Hudson Bay. His crew had mutineed. The nine were never seen again.
On this date in 1794, Emperess Catherine II of Russia gives Jews permission to settle in Kiev.
On this date in 1860, Congress establishes the Government Printing Office.
On this date in 1894, the International Olympic Committee is founded in Paris.
On this date in 1917, Babe Ruth was pitching a game for the Red Sox when he was ejected for punching an umpire, after walking the lead-off batter. Ernie Shore relieved him and retired the next 26 batters in a row. Until about 20 years ago, his performance was considered a perfect game.
On this date in 1926, the College Board administered the first SAT.
On this date in 1947, the Senate voted to override President Truman's veto of the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. Truman vetoed 180 bills (plus 70 "pocket" vetoes) during his time in office, twice as many as any president who served after him.
On this date in 1969, Warren E. Burger is sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States.
On this date in 1972, Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is amended to include a prohibition against sexual discrimination to any educational program receiving federal funds.
Famous Folk Born On This Date:
Caesarion (son of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar)
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Alfred Kinsey
Gordon B. Hinckley
Bob Fosse
Michael Shaara (his books are terrific)
Richard Bach
Wilma Rudolph
Stu Sutcliffe
Clarence Thomas (what's that on top of that soda can?)
Randy Jackson
Frances McDormand
Joss Whedon
Chico DeBarge
Selma Blair
LaDainian Tomlinson
Movie quotes of the day today come from "Pretty Persuasion", a film Selma Blair had a small role in (she looked hot in it too):
Kimberly Joyce: Put it back on, I wanna watch the Real World.
Brittany Wells: I hate the Real World. those girls are bitches.
Kimberly Joyce: You're a bitch!
Brittany Wells: Yeah, well you're a trollop.
Kimberly Joyce: Fine!
[pause]
Kimberly Joyce: I'm sorry I called you a bitch.
Brittany Wells: It's okay. I'm sorry I called you a trollop. I don't really even know what one is.
Kimberly Joyce: It's a promiscuous woman, often a prostitute.
Brittany Wells: [thoughtfully] Hm...
#2
Brittany Wells: I like this music. Can you buy the soundtrack to pornos?
Kimberly Joyce: Tiffany Minx, Stephanie Swift... You know, Brittany, a lot of these porn stars have names that sound like ours. So if we wanted to, when we grow up, we could be porn stars. You couldn't, Randa. I'm sorry.
Randa: That is quite all right.
#3
Kimberly Joyce: Randa, what's the greatest thing about this country?
Randa: Sylvester Stallone?
Kimberly Joyce: No. It's that anybody can sue anybody at anytime over anything.
Randa: You wanna sue Mr. Anderson?
Kimberly Joyce: I suppose that it might jump-start me and Brittany's acting careers.
Russia may or may not hold on to Snowden. His passport has been revoked, so they shouldn't allow him to exit the country.
Ecuador has stated they will grant Snowden political asylum. Cuba is also rumored to be a possible final destination for his flight from justice here at home.
Fine. Let Ecuador grant him asylum. Let Cuba grant him asylum. Let Russia give him asylum.
After whoever gives him refuge makes that decision, the President should respond thusly.
1. You are hereby given the requisite notice that the United States is withdrawing from our mutual treaty of extradition.
2. Criminals you seek to extradite from the United States will not be returned.
3. With the sole exception of humanitarian assistance during a natural disaster or other crisis, all future requests for official assistance from the United States will be refused.
I've read the extradition treaty between Ecuador and the United States (it is only four or so pages). It does contain an exception for someone being accused of a "political crime". You can make an argument that the information that Edward Snowden had been granted access to being released is a political crime. But there is no argument that would excuse his theft of classified information that he had NOT been granted access to. That is theft. That is espionage.
Let's suppose for a moment that you have a very noble purpose. You want to feed homeless people but you don't have enough money to do it as well as you'd like. So, since you're assistant manager of a bank branch, you sneak into the vault one night and steal $100,000 and spend every penny of it on those hungry homeless people. Are you guilty of theft or not? I think you are. What Snowden did is precisely the same thing, as regards the theft of information he had not been cleared to access.
One last thought for the day on Snowden. Wasn't the "ends justify the means" defense used by the defenders of what Ollie North did? Why was it wrong then, but it's okay now? The official U.S. position was to support the Contras in Nicaraugua. That's all Ollie was trying to do.
* * *
Stuff I'm Pondering today includes:
World of Wheels will close its doors for the last time tonight. The L.A. Times had a nice article on the roller rink, but it ignored the bowling alley upstairs, which is also closing. Plus, there's something about this article I'm having trouble digesting. It says:
"World on Wheels, the last full-fledged indoor roller skating rink in the city of Los Angeles..." It also says:
"From now on, he and his comrades will be traveling farther — to Cerritos, Glendale, Northridge, Chino — to experience that Zen." Skateland Roller Rink is located in Northridge, which is within the city limits of Los Angeles. I sent the author a nice email about this, and she responded, thanking me for not being "snarky". She'd already submitted a correction.
Why are people surprised (some are shocked) that the new "Monster's University"
Will people start going to WalMart just to get the best toilet paper now that Consumer Reports has just disclosed that the top brand in their study of the best toilet paper is sold only at WalMart?
What would be the reason someone felt the need to tell people that Drew Brees was involved in an accident? I don't get the attraction to creating a hoax about someone famous.
What in the world is "unsupervised probation?" Lisa Robin Kelly, who was a member of the cast of "That 70's Show" served 12 months of unsupervised probation when she was busted for DUI in North Carolina in 2010. Now she's been busted for a DUI here in Southern California. Will they supervise her probation this time, if she's convicted?
Will people ever learn that when you shoot a gun loaded with a real bullet into the air, that bullet will land somewhere and it could kill someone? That nearly happened after Miami's win in Game 7. A 15 year old boy was grazed in the head by a bullet someone had fired into the air. He wasn't seriously hurt, but he will carry a scar for the rest of his life. Try blanks, people.
* * *
CALPERS found a way to get hospitals to cut the amount they charge for hip and knee replacements. They lowered their cap on reimbursement. As a result, 40 of the more expensive hospitals in the state cut their charge for those procedures significantly in order not to lose patients. Imagine that. The laws of economics at work.
Given a choice between charging what they want to get paid, and what they can get paid based on the perceived value of the service in the marketplace, these hospitals made the smart choice. Apparently they can still do this and make money, or they wouldn't be doing it. Health insurance companies in the private sector already know this. That's how the Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) work.
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 1611, Henry Hudson, his son and seven loyal crew members are set adrift in an open boat on what is now known as Hudson Bay. His crew had mutineed. The nine were never seen again.
On this date in 1794, Emperess Catherine II of Russia gives Jews permission to settle in Kiev.
On this date in 1860, Congress establishes the Government Printing Office.
On this date in 1894, the International Olympic Committee is founded in Paris.
On this date in 1917, Babe Ruth was pitching a game for the Red Sox when he was ejected for punching an umpire, after walking the lead-off batter. Ernie Shore relieved him and retired the next 26 batters in a row. Until about 20 years ago, his performance was considered a perfect game.
On this date in 1926, the College Board administered the first SAT.
On this date in 1947, the Senate voted to override President Truman's veto of the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. Truman vetoed 180 bills (plus 70 "pocket" vetoes) during his time in office, twice as many as any president who served after him.
On this date in 1969, Warren E. Burger is sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States.
On this date in 1972, Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is amended to include a prohibition against sexual discrimination to any educational program receiving federal funds.
Famous Folk Born On This Date:
Caesarion (son of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar)
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Alfred Kinsey
Gordon B. Hinckley
Bob Fosse
Michael Shaara (his books are terrific)
Richard Bach
Wilma Rudolph
Stu Sutcliffe
Clarence Thomas (what's that on top of that soda can?)
Randy Jackson
Frances McDormand
Joss Whedon
Chico DeBarge
Selma Blair
LaDainian Tomlinson
Movie quotes of the day today come from "Pretty Persuasion", a film Selma Blair had a small role in (she looked hot in it too):
Kimberly Joyce: Put it back on, I wanna watch the Real World.
Brittany Wells: I hate the Real World. those girls are bitches.
Kimberly Joyce: You're a bitch!
Brittany Wells: Yeah, well you're a trollop.
Kimberly Joyce: Fine!
[pause]
Kimberly Joyce: I'm sorry I called you a bitch.
Brittany Wells: It's okay. I'm sorry I called you a trollop. I don't really even know what one is.
Kimberly Joyce: It's a promiscuous woman, often a prostitute.
Brittany Wells: [thoughtfully] Hm...
#2
Brittany Wells: I like this music. Can you buy the soundtrack to pornos?
Kimberly Joyce: Tiffany Minx, Stephanie Swift... You know, Brittany, a lot of these porn stars have names that sound like ours. So if we wanted to, when we grow up, we could be porn stars. You couldn't, Randa. I'm sorry.
Randa: That is quite all right.
#3
Kimberly Joyce: Randa, what's the greatest thing about this country?
Randa: Sylvester Stallone?
Kimberly Joyce: No. It's that anybody can sue anybody at anytime over anything.
Randa: You wanna sue Mr. Anderson?
Kimberly Joyce: I suppose that it might jump-start me and Brittany's acting careers.
posted by me at 3:31 PM
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