CBS host Bob Schieffer is, like a lot of other establishment journalists, no fan of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
As he explained on his Face the Nation program (6/16/13), “I don’t remember Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks running off and hiding in China.”
As if that weren’t enough, he made a point about the 9/11 attacks:
I know 11 people who died or lost a member of their family on 9/11. My younger daughter lived in Manhattan then. It was six hours before we knew she was safe. I’m not interested in going through that again.
What that has to do with Snowden is anyone’s guess.
Schieffer went on:
I don’t know yet if the government is overreached since 9/11 to reinforce our defenses, and we need to find out. What I do know, though, is that these procedures were put in place and are being overseen by officials we elected and we should hold them accountable. I think what we have in Edward Snowden is just a narcissistic young man who has decided he is smarter than the rest of us. I don’t know what he is beyond that, but he is no hero.
This is the establishment media’s script on Snowden: We don’t know what exactly the government is doing, and we should know, but the guy who’s generated the discussion about all of this is a narcissist.
But the biggest howler was probably Schieffer’s beginning:
I like people who are willing to stand up to the government. As a reporter, it’s my job to do that from time to time.
If that’s the way Schieffer sees the world, he’s done a good job of keeping that adversarial view of power out of his journalism. The most frequent guest on his show over the past 20 years? Noted dissident John McCain. As of 2011, Joe Biden had made 46 appearances.
Fight the power, Bob.
Bob — you may not know anything than your claim that Mr. Snowden is a “is just a narcissistic young man who has decided he is smarter than the rest of us. I don’t know what he is beyond that, but he is no hero.”
I know what he is, Bob: he is a hero and he is smarter than you. I hope that helps.
I don’t think of “intrepid” when it comes to Bob Schieffer.
“Invested” is closer to the mark, wouldn’t you say?
I admire the courage of Martin Luther King who remained a target within full range of his adversaries until the day he was assassinated. It would have been entirely understandable if he had retreated to a safer distance when it became clear his life was in danger. It is no disgrace to Mr. Snowden that he has done so from the start. It is amply clear how his life would be threatened the moment his disclosures became public. He has not been and doesn’t appear to aspire to be a charismatic leader of a national movement, he simply wishes to shine a light into the dark recesses of government (and corporate) excesses and facilitate an informed citizenry. This can be accomplished from the safest distance he can achieve.
Bob Schieffer is a white haired grandfatherly looking man whose appearance, manner and voice might inspire confidence in naive and trusting young children. I wish he would retire to narrating children’s books.
How come there are so many dumb and gutless journalists in prominent places?
Excelent comment Dave Swager
My favorite excuse to dump on Snowden is that he revealed this important stuff “the wrong way,” the “right way” never being explained.
It is not the province of journalists to broadcast their personal opinion. Not even the oldest and most experienced. That’ll be those who should know better.
schieffer at cbs (wink wink) doesn’t remember
martin luther king running to china, doesn’t remember how he was killed, ( so young, just beginning)
doesn’t remember the trial which showed who killed him,
doesn’t remember or admire anything king said, probably.
schieffer at cbs (wink wink) doesn’t know MORE THAN WE DO
about the full scale spying by the federal gov and hundreds of military contractors, isn’t good friends with some of those who setup these new American surveillance prison bars and can’t believe how many years he’s been a top dog in the united states mass media control grid.
our guesses about everything are as good as his,
most likely they’re a lot better than his,
ours being less contrived for other people’s profits.
that’s why HE gets the HUGE paychecks and such a LONG longterm job at c (wink wink? ) b.s.?
I dunno. I don’t remember , either.
i’m just going along here, half-wittedly, not wittingly,
…. like he is there.
Dear Mr. Schieffer,
Reverend King was harassed and spied upon by our government. He and his followers at times were subject to police violence for trying to assert their rights. He lived and died as an American. Maybe Mr. Snowden does not choose to die just yet.
Mr. Snowden is going down the Bradley Manning road. NO ONE mentions the folks that did the bad and embarrassing things that Manning or Snowden are exposing. Our government is simply talking transparency and shooting the messengers.
You live in a rich man’s world where you get to exercise the control side of power. Many of us average Americans live on the other side of the equation.
The Bill of rights and the Constitution exist as a codification of OUR rights and prohibitions to our government. Neither Homeland Security, Congress nor anyone else has the right to take those rights from us or to violate the prohibitions.
9/11 was a Constitutional Disaster. It is time to get past that and the fear it generated and was used to take our rights. It is time to be America the land of the free and the home of the brave again, where NO man is above the law and all men are equal in the eyes of the law.
For years, I’ve tuned in to the CBS Evening News every night, just to catch the main Establishment drift on what is “news”. But, no more. It’s just become too nauseating.
PS. For anyone who’s interested in the most scathing news site on the Internet, I recommend checking out the new podcast service at wsws.org, if you aren’t already reading their daily articles. You might suspect at first they’re pushing socialism (if that bothers you) but give it a few days and you’ll discover it’s the absolute best no-bullshit site on the Web
You know, i don’t watch CBS. And i can see from Schieffer’s comments that i’m probably not missing anything. How can he inform the public if he has such contempt for somebody revealing an enormous crime against that public?
Why does he even bother trying to couch has sycophancy in rhetorical support for those who challenge power?
I would like Mr. S and all the networks explain what they think the Fourth Amendment means. I think your response to Mr. Snowden, Mr. Schieffer was just silly, and if you really think you mean what you said, then maybe you should rethink that. We can all be silly, but what does that prove? ( in case no one has read the 4th lately:
“The rights of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
Depending on a person’s interpretation… this could be anything, so before you, Mr. S. decide on heros or villians, should we all decide what the 4th means to us? If the NSA is ALL, and ALL the time, but we didn’t know that…how can people like you be angry that a person told that some well paid private contractors are spying on us? And, that their very own taxpayer paid money goes to private corporations for the taxpayers to be spied upon. Doesn’t that seem a little looney?
How can people be secure in their persons, if a cell phone GPS targets them 24/7 ? Does that mean that AT&T , Verizon etc. are actually treating us like owned people of “indentured servitude?” If we are late in a payment, then they own us?What does that do to Amendment XIII? Also what about copyright? Don’t people have a copyright on their written or spoken sayings? Or does that just work for corporations?
How are people to be”secure in their houses?” Does this mean that the Second Amendment is a requirement, and what kinds of guns are we required to buy?
I know what”papers” are, but what does that include in America in 2013? Are they different than those of 1776? What are “effects?” Does that include my make-up and earrings?
“….shall not be violated……does this include the TSA?
“probable cause..” Whose cause does this refer to?
Oath? Does this include actual swearing and lying? Can criminals now proclaim that they are the law and how can we tell the difference, between the good guys and the bad guys? If men in dark suits show up at your front door….is that a search warrant? Is there a difference?
Describing the place to be searched..” is this an address or anything with a roof?
“The person or things to be seized?” is this like all the males over 16 are fair game” thing?
So, Mr. Schieffer and corporate news people, how are we to determine the good guys from the bad guys, and does just saying something, make it so?
I like Dave Swager’s comment, but I wish he would look closely at Schieffer. The older I get, the more I believe people’s personalities and values are expressed on their faces, especially as they age. Bob Schieffer has an evil look to me, but a lot of Americans must have had evil grandfathers since they loved Reagan so much. If I had been confronted with Schieffer when I was little I would have run as fast as I could!
Hard story to comment on.We really know so little of his life.His motives.His intentions going in.We hear some things he has said,but honestly they don’t add up.And as he had to do a lot of lying to abscond the information…we are listening to an avowed liar.on top of that we don’t even know what he has said is true or verifiable,though Im sure some of it is close enough to make people sweat.The facts are…..he stole classified information,making a personal decision(beyond his pay grade or training to do so),and released that information to foreign nationals and intelligence services.He then ran and sought/is seeking asylum- it is reported in places like Cuba.Look some of the information he has released infuriates me.Im with you all on that.But can you imagine if every body working for Obama lets say on his national security team decided to steal armloads of classified intel on his desk to hand to the Chinese lets say…then seek asylum?Yes Im sure some of that would be fodder for political and national disagreement.But the very idea that going “Kardashian”for fifteen minutes of fame(so prevalent in this generations mindset),or even for high minded principles that lead you to do things beyond your understanding………It just cant be.If he had no ability or intent to safeguard classified documents that he did not agree with,he should not of signed on.Remember there is legal whistle -blower rout.He did not take it.He is no better than that Clinton staffer who shoved documents down his pants to protect” Mr Blue dress with his stain.”Many an espionage act has resulted from high minded ideals.German Americans convicted during the war believed that the US was doing wrong.When nuclear secrets were given to the Soviets was it not because husband and wife thought it better for the world.?And lets face it….we cant even yet apply high minded things to his actions.He may be a hero,or he may just be a creep.Long story short he should be prosecuted.I say thanks for the memories and if I were you, I would run long and hard.Judgement day awaits.
Thank you for sharing your MSM opinions, Mr. Schieffer. When was the last time you stood up to the government?