The New York Times ran an editorial today arguing that Edward Snowden, the leaker of the National Security Agency’s surveillance techniques, should be considered a whistle-blower, not a criminal. This assessment has been my own view since the beginning, but few shared it at the time the leaks were first revealed. The New York Times has less heft now than in times past, but the public position of the editorial board of the Times is an important move in the right direction. Until the Obama Administration gives substantive proof that the the country has suffered a tangible harm from the leaks, it has not proven a criminal case against Snowden. The revelations, while highly embarrassing to the US, are not evidence of criminal intent.
The Pitchfork Movement in Italy is one of the anti-austerity protest movements that have cropped up in Europe over the last three years. As is the case with several other movements in Europe (the True Finns in Finland, the Jobbik Party in Hungary, and Geert Wilders Party in the Netherlands, there is a strong right-wing element in the Pitchfork Movement. It became explicitly anti-Jewish in recent days, reviving some of the ugliest themes of the 20th century. We’ll have to see how the people of Italy respond to this very dangerous trend.
There was another major bomb blast in Beirut, Lebanon today, the most recent in a string of explosions that threaten to destabilize the already fragile Lebanese government. The attacks all seem to be aimed at Hezbollah, Iran’s ally in Syria and Lebanon. It seems likely that these attacks are an extension of the civil war in Syria, as Sunni groups, funded largely by Saudi Arabia, seem intent on reducing Iranian influence in the region. What is more likely is that the violence will continue to spill over into a number of other countries. The Syrian civil war is now a full-fledged regional war.
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