Opinion of Edward Snowden

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Obvious FF is obvious.

[windjammer]

HP, traitor,...

[Antonio the Sixth]

Clearly a FF.

I still haven't heard a single rational argument against him... and I'm as much of a neocon as a leftist can be.

[Miles]

HP, traitor.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

HP, traitor.

Far less of one than the NSAstapo.

[WalterMitty]

a traitor.

[Oakvale]

HP, traitor.

Basically. I've laid out before what I find objectionable about Snowden although I'll say that he's not as awful as his counterpart internet hero Bradley Manning.

[opebo]

Freedom fighter.

Surely you d***s can understand that one has to be a traitor to be a real freedom fighter?

[Lief 🗽]

HP, should be in jail.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Lots of Joe McCarthy wannabes in this thread...

[windjammer]

Lots of Joe McCarthy wannabes in this thread...

Lol

[Antonio the Sixth]

HP, traitor.

Basically. I've laid out before what I find objectionable about Snowden although I'll say that he's not as awful as his counterpart internet hero Bradley Manning.

From what I remember (apologies if I'm wrong), your main points for disliking him were that his admirers come from an utterly insufferable crowd (which is absolutely true) and that you personally have no issue with being spied over (which is a legitimate position). All this, however, says nothing about Snowden's character or the legitimacy of his actions.

[Leftbehind]

Obvious FF is obvious.

[Oakvale]

HP, traitor.

Basically. I've laid out before what I find objectionable about Snowden although I'll say that he's not as awful as his counterpart internet hero Bradley Manning.

From what I remember (apologies if I'm wrong), your main points for disliking him were that his admirers come from an utterly insufferable crowd (which is absolutely true) and that you personally have no issue with being spied over (which is a legitimate position). All this, however, says nothing about Snowden's character or the legitimacy of his actions.

No, Snowden revealed himself very quickly to be a delusional narcissist who makes sanctimonious pronouncements about Civil Liberties (and implying he'll be assassinated like Malcolm X) while seeking asylum in Putin's Russia. The fact that he leaked privileged security information as part of some bizarre messianic complex in a marginally less reckless way than Bradley Manning doesn't speak to his "character". Leaking information about the NSA does nothing to make anyone in the United States or out of it safer and only serves to allow Vladimir Putin and Latin American demagogues (and, er, Flanby) to loudly pontificate about AMERIKKKA to distract from the various levels of ongoing disaster in their own countries.

If Snowden believes that he did the right thing, as he claims to, he should have stayed in the US and stood trial, not fled to one of the most tyrannical regimes in the developed world while still preposterously attempting to hold some kind of moral high ground.

[Maxwell]

FF.

[Leftbehind]

No, Snowden revealed himself very quickly to be a delusional narcissist who makes sanctimonious pronouncements about Civil Liberties (and implying he'll be assassinated like Malcolm X) while seeking asylum in Putin's Russia.

lol yeah, he should've came to (Western) Europe or wherever so he could be immediately deported and given the Manning treatment.

[Antonio the Sixth]

HP, traitor.

Basically. I've laid out before what I find objectionable about Snowden although I'll say that he's not as awful as his counterpart internet hero Bradley Manning.

From what I remember (apologies if I'm wrong), your main points for disliking him were that his admirers come from an utterly insufferable crowd (which is absolutely true) and that you personally have no issue with being spied over (which is a legitimate position). All this, however, says nothing about Snowden's character or the legitimacy of his actions.

No, Snowden revealed himself very quickly to be a delusional narcissist who makes sanctimonious pronouncements about Civil Liberties (and implying he'll be assassinated like Malcolm X) while seeking asylum in Putin's Russia. The fact that he leaked privileged security information as part of some bizarre messianic complex in a marginally less reckless way than Bradley Manning doesn't speak to his "character". Leaking information about the NSA does nothing to make anyone in the United States or out of it safer and only serves to allow Vladimir Putin and Latin American demagogues (and, er, Flanby) to loudly pontificate about AMERIKKKA to distract from the various levels of ongoing disaster in their own countries.

If Snowden believes that he did the right thing, as he claims to, he should have stayed in the US and stood trial, not fled to one of the most tyrannical regimes in the developed world while still preposterously attempting to hold some kind of moral high ground.

Yes, I see why some aspects of Snowden's character are quite problematic and he doesn't seem very bright. I certainly don't think he should be the leader or the spokesman for any political movement. What I simply think is that, misguided as he might be, he still helped further a just cause by putting himself in serious trouble. And I think that's still commendable.

But about standing for trial, come on. You sure know that what is right and what is lawful aren't always the same, even in a mostly free country like the US. If Snowden thinks (as I happen to do) that he hasn't done anything wrong, there's no reason why he should quietly wait to be thrown in jail. I fail to see how accepting to pay an unjust price is a sign of moral righteousness. Sure, it's unfortunate that he had to go to Russia (if European countries grew a spine, they would have sent a little message to Obama and granted him asylum), but a little opportunism is by far the lesser evil.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

HP, traitor.

Basically. I've laid out before what I find objectionable about Snowden although I'll say that he's not as awful as his counterpart internet hero Bradley Manning.

From what I remember (apologies if I'm wrong), your main points for disliking him were that his admirers come from an utterly insufferable crowd (which is absolutely true) and that you personally have no issue with being spied over (which is a legitimate position). All this, however, says nothing about Snowden's character or the legitimacy of his actions.

No, Snowden revealed himself very quickly to be a delusional narcissist who makes sanctimonious pronouncements about Civil Liberties (and implying he'll be assassinated like Malcolm X) while seeking asylum in Putin's Russia. The fact that he leaked privileged security information as part of some bizarre messianic complex in a marginally less reckless way than Bradley Manning doesn't speak to his "character". Leaking information about the NSA does nothing to make anyone in the United States or out of it safer and only serves to allow Vladimir Putin and Latin American demagogues (and, er, Flanby) to loudly pontificate about AMERIKKKA to distract from the various levels of ongoing disaster in their own countries.

If Snowden believes that he did the right thing, as he claims to, he should have stayed in the US and stood trial, not fled to one of the most tyrannical regimes in the developed world while still preposterously attempting to hold some kind of moral high ground.

Yes, I see why some aspects of Snowden's character are quite problematic and he doesn't seem very bright. I certainly don't think he should be the leader or the spokesman for any political movement. What I simply think is that, misguided as he might be, he still helped further a just cause by putting himself in serious trouble. And I think that's still commendable.

But about standing for trial, come on. You sure know that what is right and what is lawful aren't always the same, even in a mostly free country like the US. If Snowden thinks (as I happen to do) that he hasn't done anything wrong, there's no reason why he should quietly wait to be thrown in jail. I fail to see how accepting to pay an unjust price is a sign of moral righteousness. Sure, it's unfortunate that he had to go to Russia (if European countries grew a spine, they would have sent a little message to Obama and granted him asylum), but a little opportunism is by far the lesser evil.

Those who want him to "stand trial" are invariably the fascists who want him locked up to prevent further disturbances.

[Oakvale]

No, Snowden revealed himself very quickly to be a delusional narcissist who makes sanctimonious pronouncements about Civil Liberties (and implying he'll be assassinated like Malcolm X) while seeking asylum in Putin's Russia.

lol yeah, he should've came to (Western) Europe or wherever so he could be immediately deported and given the Manning treatment.

It's just fortunate it wasn't Russian national security secrets he was leaking or he'd have been poisoned months ago!

"The Manning treatment" being, er, standing trial and facing the consequences of your actions?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Neutral. His "treason" (I call it reason) makes him a FF, but he should have turned himself in and suffered the punishments like Manning instead of fleeing and making a spectacle of himself.

[opebo]

Neutral. His "treason" (I call it reason) makes him a FF, but he should have turned himself in and suffered the punishments like Manning instead of fleeing and making a spectacle of himself.

What utter nonsense.  That's be like saying defectors should have gone to Auschwitz instead of running off to Los Alamos during the Nazi times.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, I have to admit it hurts to be on the same side as Grumps, Snowstalker and Opebo.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

FF.

Betraying one's country isn't in and of itself a 'bad thing,' especially if you justify your actions on a power that transcends human-established laws: morality.  Moral wrongs need to be rectified somehow.

[Oakvale]

FF.

Betraying one's country isn't in and of itself a 'bad thing,' especially if you justify your actions on a power that transcends human-established laws: morality.  Moral wrongs need to be rectified somehow.

Lol. What "moral wrong" did Snowden rectify?

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

FF.

Betraying one's country isn't in and of itself a 'bad thing,' especially if you justify your actions on a power that transcends human-established laws: morality.  Moral wrongs need to be rectified somehow.

Lol. What "moral wrong" did Snowden rectify?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_surveillance_in_the_United_States