Comment by cmdkeen | Hacker News Reader

Comment by cmdkeen | Hacker News Reader

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Russia's just put a dead lawyers on trial to cover up government corruption.

Like to admit it or not but the USA still has a functioning system of laws and an independent judiciary. Disagreeing with those laws or the judiciary is very different from living in a state like Russia.

Aaron Swartz, Eric Snowden, Bradley Manning et al all knew the laws they were breaking and the likely consequences. Those laws are harsh yes, but they chose to fight them by breaking them - they didn't have to. There are legal avenues for whistleblowing, regular criminal prosecutions of government corruption etc.

It's also blissfully ironic that this article praises Russia "following the law" when it comes to refugee status, yet the UK's similar stance re Assange and why he's being kept inside the embassy is lambasted on here.

> Like to admit it or not but the USA still has a functioning system of laws

Sure, if you ignore the secret courts and global spying, that no one seems to be able to challenge in "functioning system".

No one has been able to bring down those (illegitimate) parts of the system yet, but some are trying. Although I have been defending the US in this thread but I know there are many, many things about it that need challenging. I am (for some reason) optimistic enough that its citizens will challenge it, and change it for the better.

"Secret courts" - no, there aren't. The FISA system is about surveillance warrants not trials. It's nothing like the "secret courts" in countries that have given term its meaning.

Again men established those laws and run the "global spying" system. The USA isn't like Russia in terms of the state security apparatus controlling elections. Indeed Hoover's FBI days even managed to pale into comparison with what the Russians are up to today.

FISA and surveillance could be voted out by the elected representatives at any point, indeed it almost happened.

> The USA isn't like Russia in terms of the state security apparatus controlling elections.

Yeah they are controlling other countries elections instead. Great high moral ground there ;)

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