The Bergdahl Swap

It seems that conservatives spent a lot of time accusing the Administration of weakness for not getting Bowe Bergdahl back from the Taliban, but as soon as Obama did that, they began talking about Bergdahl being a deserter (which they could well have known beforehand) and about Obama's perfidy in freeing five Taliban from Guatanamo. For heaven's sake, I would think any excuse for getting prisoners out of Guantanamo would be worthwhile. But here's my question: Why doesn't Obama talk about this? Gosh, why must he be so sniveling. All he has to do is say, Hey, you guys wouldn't shut up about this and about my weakness in not getting him back, for years. Now that I've done what you asked, you're attacking from the other angle. It just seems so obvious. I also would like to know about these five "Taliban." Why have they never been tried? No evidence, maybe? Or maybe they've been tortured and thus there's way of trying them? What's the story, news media?

This is getting too scary

Regarding the NSA subjecting us all to facial recognition files. How is one to live a private life, with dignity and humanity, any more? I've never been diagnosed as paranoid, yet I rely on Woody Allen's well-known riposte: Even paranoids have enemies, I think is how it goes. I'm grateful not to live in the United States, also grateful that New York City, where I always did live, doesn't allow people to carry guns around without a permit. Especially since I'm about to come to New York for a month. But while I'm afraid of all those guns in the U.S., what really scares me is the government. I am grateful to Edward Snowden for revealing all the horrors of the NSA, but I find it very scary, being watched all the time (when I'm there I guess). I'm pretty sure nothing bad will happen to me, I am 79 years old, but the atmosphere is demeaning, the idea of everyone being spied on by our own government. It's not something I ever dreamed would happen in our country, totally gutting the Constitution this way. 1984 seemed so absurd when I read it, way back when, but now it's becoming true before my very eyes.