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Traitor or not, I can only hope that were I in his position, I would have the courage to stick to my principles.
No, what is sad is that there are people who hate their own country so much that they consider a man who gave critical military secrets to one of the most repressive regimes in the world - and a regime that still has thousands of nuclear weapons targeted at this country a hero. That's what's sad.
It's one thing to release domestic information to prove a point. It's another to release our overseas intel and put many Americans in danger. He's a traitor. I wouldn't have a problem with him as long as he only released domestic stuff.
...The US Government is a corrupt organization? If you feel that way, then move. Russia sounds like just your cup of tea.
I support Snowden because I don't want our nation to become more like Russia at its worst when everyone was spyed on and all dissent was punished as treason. That is where we have been heading since 9/11.
So what? The question isn't whether he broke any laws, the question is whether he had a sufficiently good reason to do it.
I support Snowden because I don't want our nation to become more like Russia at its worst when everyone was spyed on and all dissent was punished as treason. That is where we have been heading since 9/11.
"The ACLU and others have long suspected that the National Security Agency has gone far beyond its mandate of gathering information for counterterrorism and foreign intelligence purposes, implementing a massive spying system to conduct bulk surveillance of hundreds of millions of innocent Americans. Those suspicions were confirmed when, on June 5, 2013, The Guardian released the first in a series of documents provided by Edward Snowden detailing the NSA's unlawful spying activities. All of the documents released since that day -- both by the media and the government -- are housed in this database. Together, they have triggered a remarkable and long-overdue public debate about the legality and propriety of the government's surveillance practices."
See the database at https://www.aclu.org/nsa-documents-search
If the claim that the release of these documents caused harm to citizens of the USA is true, these documents should contain the evidence. Snowden haters are encouraged to provide links to the specific evidence supporting that accusation.
Yet you support a traitor who fled with his secrets to the country you don't want us to become? Something isn't computing here. I can only assume that those who support this dirtbag don't give a damn how many lives his treason is likely to cause. I suppose it's because they know it won't be their life. It'll be some kid getting blown to bits by an IED.
That may be the issue to you, but it isn't to me. If we let people get away with breaking laws because they feel they have a good reason, that is nothing more than anarchy.
Yet you support a traitor who fled with his secrets to the country you don't want us to become? Something isn't computing here. I can only assume that those who support this dirtbag don't give a damn how many lives his treason is likely to cause. I suppose it's because they know it won't be their life. It'll be some kid getting blown to bits by an IED.
That may be the issue to you, but it isn't to me. If we let people get away with breaking laws because they feel they have a good reason, that is nothing more than anarchy.
Condemning Snowden requires holding these beliefs:
- Allowing our government to obtain and use the ability to spy on virtually anyone, anywhere at anytime benefits us citizens.
- We can trust the government to use their top secret programs only for our protection.
- We can trust the government to harm other people only when there is a known threat to our safety and there is no viable alternative.
- The interests of the politicians, bureaucrats, military personnel, contractors and vendors that control our intelligence and security apparatus are exactly the same as the public's interests.
- The USA should have the ability to control the political decisions made by every other nation.
That may be the issue to you, but it isn't to me. If we let people get away with breaking laws because they feel they have a good reason, that is nothing more than anarchy.
I notice you did not answer my question that you quoted.
"What about those wiping their ass with the Constitution? Aren't they the traitorous douchbags?"
Spies are not my brothers.
Snowden was just supporting Putin and playing propaganda boy. You cannot separate your opinion of the NSA v. a traitor that told us nothing new and harmed our country and empowers Russia.
Where is the harm? Where is the evidence that he released anything that wasn't evidence of wrong doing?
"I carefully evaluated every single document I disclosed to ensure that each was legitimately in the public interest. There are all sorts of documents that would have made a big impact that I didn't turn over, because harming people isn't my goal. Transparency is."
Snowden
I know this may seem old news yet more is being released and a recent conversation with a friend does not view him this way.
I followed this story lightly and would like to dig more and hear your thoughts.
Here is an article that sums up my perspective so far. What do you think?
The reason why I believed from the beginning that Snowden was a traitor was not because of the information he had been leaking but the manner in which he had done it. In my view, a true whistleblower would have first pursued legal avenues for reining in the NSA ? ? ! :lamo :roll:
Yes, Edward Snowden Is a Traitor | The Diplomat
Well, I was in the middle, thanks for helping me move towards the defense of his actions against an arrogant and oppressive government agency. They broke Constitutional law when they spied on everyone without authorization, and any reporting of it seems patriotic now. Again, appreciate your help in deciding my defense was misguided of an erroneous espionage law. I guess that was your goal?
Totally agree that he must have spilled the beans to the Russians
The author lives in cuckoo-land. . .
Yes, I'm sure he explained to the Russians that there are Americans clueless enough to believe that the FSB wasn't already aware of the info that Snowden leaked.
The author is correct.
Snowden had multiple avenues available to him for whistleblowing