Flutterby™! : Interview request from Al Jazeera

Just got an email titled "Interview request from Al Jazeera English" asking for my participation in "Global Village Voices", with 4 questions focused on Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden. My response went:

I've thought a little bit about those questions and I don't think that answering those is useful or interesting. They deflect the larger issues of what should or shouldn't be lawful in the U.S. pursuing an undeclared war, and what the larger issues of government surveillance of its citizens, and the secrecy surround those activities, on to particular issues of personality of two individuals.

This is not about Edward Snowden or Bradley Manning. They are heroes (although I believe that Manning was also somewhat misguided and manipulated), but keeping the focus on their tribulations is a distraction from the discussions we ought to be engaging in.

Thank you for your coverage, but I must decline.