Snowden plans to settle and work in Russia – lawyer to RT

[Pete7469]

"whistleblower"? He's a traitor and a criminal. No one who believes in government transparency would choose to immigrate to Putin's Russia. His actions where both illegal and reprehensible. No patriot would support his behavior.

I'm in an awkward position of having to agree in part with a bed wetter.

Snowden may have done the right thing and exposed criminal activity at the highest level of government, but running off to Russia? I don't think he's a traitor per say, but his actions are criminal. He released classified information to the entire world. He should have gone through elected officials that could keep him from being prosecuted and work through the channels of government to end the criminal acts of the executive branch.

Just my oppinion of course, and I know there are lots of people I otherwise agree with on other issues that believe he's a modern day Paul Revere.

The patriots of the revolutionary period put their lives and everything their families owned at risk for what they believed in. Snowden was not willing to take much risk here.

He should have hung around like Michael Hastings did.

Real patriots who stand by their convictions do not flee into enemy territory and seek refuge. That's the bottom line.

 

[nodoginnafight]

Ok, so what if I reveal that the U.S. tortured prisioners?
That's a violation of our law right?
But everyone already knew about it.
Then I take a couple of laptops loaded with top secret information to the Chinese and the Russians.
Do I get to be a "hero" too?

 

[R.C. Christian]

Were Snowden a whistleblower, he would have stayed here, and accepted the rule of law. As did Henry David Thoreou.

His running to China and Russia, and revealing far more than just the extent of domestic spying, simply makes him a traitor and a criminal.

This domestic spying started under Bush. I like it no better under Obama than Bush, but the precedent was established by when the GOP had control of all branches of the government. And the same people crying foul today were saying then that if you had nothing to hide, you had nothing to fear. Your hypocracy is extreme.

It didn't start under Bush genius. Check out this moron ^^^. Thanks for the laugh.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

Snowden plans to settle and work in Russia – lawyer to RT

.NSA leaker Edward Snowden plans to settle in Russia and is ready to begin a court battle if the country’s migration service denies his asylum plea, Anatoly Kucherena, a Russian lawyer who assists the whistleblower, told RT.

"whistleblower"? He's a traitor and a criminal. No one who believes in government transparency would choose to immigrate to Putin's Russia. His actions where both illegal and reprehensible. No patriot would support his behavior.

I'm in an awkward position of having to agree in part with a bed wetter.

Snowden may have done the right thing and exposed criminal activity at the highest level of government, but running off to Russia? I don't think he's a traitor per say, but his actions are criminal. He released classified information to the entire world. He should have gone through elected officials that could keep him from being prosecuted and work through the channels of government to end the criminal acts of the executive branch.

Just my oppinion of course, and I know there are lots of people I otherwise agree with on other issues that believe he's a modern day Paul Revere.

The patriots of the revolutionary period put their lives and everything their families owned at risk for what they believed in. Snowden was not willing to take much risk here.

Criminality was never part of his contractual obligation when he worked for the government. He had a duty to expose the crimes of the NSA and in so, is exonerated from any blame for what one might percieve as "criminal" on his behalf.

If our government didn't view the American peope and those who expose their crimes as enemies, he likely would have never run. But knowig that the government doesn't take lightly to being exposed as criminals, he was, and is still in the process of being made an example.

He's not a criminal any more than an undercover officer that is forced to do criminal activity to expose a criminal organization is one. We dont try those cops for their efforts, and this is no different.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

Ok, so what if I reveal that the U.S. tortured prisioners?
That's a violation of our law right?
But everyone already knew about it.
Then I take a couple of laptops loaded with top secret information to the Chinese and the Russians.
Do I get to be a "hero" too?

Are you implying that he gave information to Russia and China? Proof?

 

[Pete7469]

"whistleblower"? He's a traitor and a criminal. No one who believes in government transparency would choose to immigrate to Putin's Russia. His actions where both illegal and reprehensible. No patriot would support his behavior.

I'm in an awkward position of having to agree in part with a bed wetter.

Snowden may have done the right thing and exposed criminal activity at the highest level of government, but running off to Russia? I don't think he's a traitor per say, but his actions are criminal. He released classified information to the entire world. He should have gone through elected officials that could keep him from being prosecuted and work through the channels of government to end the criminal acts of the executive branch.

Just my oppinion of course, and I know there are lots of people I otherwise agree with on other issues that believe he's a modern day Paul Revere.

The patriots of the revolutionary period put their lives and everything their families owned at risk for what they believed in. Snowden was not willing to take much risk here.

Criminality was never part of his contractual obligation when he worked for the government. He had a duty to expose the crimes of the NSA and in so, is exonerated from any blame for what one might percieve as "criminal" on his behalf.

If our government didn't view the American peope and those who expose their crimes as enemies, he likely would have never run. But knowig that the government doesn't take lightly to being exposed as criminals, he was, and is still in the process of being made an example.

He's not a criminal any more than an undercover officer that is forced to do criminal activity to expose a criminal organization is one. We dont try those cops for their efforts, and this is no different.

Since I don't know what is contract was, or what he was supposed to be doing for the empire, or how he got a hold of all the information he had I can't speculate about any of that.

All I know is that he released classified material, which is a crime, and I know for certain he signed on the line to promise not to do so. I agree with your assesment that the gov't does deal harshly with whistle blowers and it shouldn't. However if he gone through the proper channels, such as Senator Rand Paul maybe, he would have put the government in a position where it was in conflict with itself, and not against a single obscure individual.

Fleeing to enemy territory completely discredited him IMO.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

I'm in an awkward position of having to agree in part with a bed wetter.

Snowden may have done the right thing and exposed criminal activity at the highest level of government, but running off to Russia? I don't think he's a traitor per say, but his actions are criminal. He released classified information to the entire world. He should have gone through elected officials that could keep him from being prosecuted and work through the channels of government to end the criminal acts of the executive branch.

Just my oppinion of course, and I know there are lots of people I otherwise agree with on other issues that believe he's a modern day Paul Revere.

The patriots of the revolutionary period put their lives and everything their families owned at risk for what they believed in. Snowden was not willing to take much risk here.

Criminality was never part of his contractual obligation when he worked for the government. He had a duty to expose the crimes of the NSA and in so, is exonerated from any blame for what one might percieve as "criminal" on his behalf.

If our government didn't view the American peope and those who expose their crimes as enemies, he likely would have never run. But knowig that the government doesn't take lightly to being exposed as criminals, he was, and is still in the process of being made an example.

He's not a criminal any more than an undercover officer that is forced to do criminal activity to expose a criminal organization is one. We dont try those cops for their efforts, and this is no different.

Since I don't know what is contract was, or what he was supposed to be doing for the empire, or how he got a hold of all the information he had I can't speculate about any of that.

All I know is that he released classified material, which is a crime, and I know for certain he signed on the line to promise not to do so. I agree with your assesment that the gov't does deal harshly with whistle blowers and it shouldn't. However if he gone through the proper channels, such as Senator Rand Paul maybe, he would have put the government in a position where it was in conflict with itself, and not against a single obscure individual.

Fleeing to enemy territory completely discredited him IMO.

There are no proper channels fro exposing the governmetn in its crimes. What there are, are procedures for stonewalling exposure and minimizing it's breadth. The "classified" material you refer to is the American people's property. That the NSA stole in actions as nothing short of criminal. Therefore, they had no right to the information or to classify it. Making SNowden's "crime" moot, and even more, a duty just like any other American. He's exonerated of all crimes when breaking the rules to undertake exposure.

The government and their lapdogs, however, have already made the narrative about what Snowden did and allowed the REAL story to go by the way side in order to shadow and dillute the criminality of the government in this case.

Which is EXACTLY why Snowden fled. He'd be in a Bradley Manning position right now or worse had he not. Sticking around to be fucked over by the criminals that you exposed is about as wise as handing over the information he was trying to get to the public to a higher up in the NSA to take to a congressman for some political points.

the real story here is government criminality, not Snowden's method of exposing them. Conveniently, that seems to be the bigger priority of the story; making a case against the person who exposed criminal behavior instead of the criminals themselves.

 

[Contumacious]

Was it worth it Snowden?

Worthiness is a subjective conclusion wherein an individual judges the quality or state of something having merit or value.

Specially, given the fact that only 3 to 5 % of the populace is conscious enough to appreciate his honorable act.

.

 

[Pete7469]

Criminality was never part of his contractual obligation when he worked for the government. He had a duty to expose the crimes of the NSA and in so, is exonerated from any blame for what one might percieve as "criminal" on his behalf.

If our government didn't view the American peope and those who expose their crimes as enemies, he likely would have never run. But knowig that the government doesn't take lightly to being exposed as criminals, he was, and is still in the process of being made an example.

He's not a criminal any more than an undercover officer that is forced to do criminal activity to expose a criminal organization is one. We dont try those cops for their efforts, and this is no different.

Since I don't know what is contract was, or what he was supposed to be doing for the empire, or how he got a hold of all the information he had I can't speculate about any of that.

All I know is that he released classified material, which is a crime, and I know for certain he signed on the line to promise not to do so. I agree with your assesment that the gov't does deal harshly with whistle blowers and it shouldn't. However if he gone through the proper channels, such as Senator Rand Paul maybe, he would have put the government in a position where it was in conflict with itself, and not against a single obscure individual.

Fleeing to enemy territory completely discredited him IMO.

There are no proper channels fro exposing the governmetn in its crimes. What there are, are procedures for stonewalling exposure and minimizing it's breadth. The "classified" material you refer to is the American people's property. That the NSA stole in actions as nothing short of criminal. Therefore, they had no right to the information or to classify it. Making SNowden's "crime" moot, and even more, a duty just like any other American. He's exonerated of all crimes when breaking the rules to undertake exposure.

The government and their lapdogs, however, have already made the narrative about what Snowden did and allowed the REAL story to go by the way side in order to shadow and dillute the criminality of the government in this case.

Which is EXACTLY why Snowden fled. He'd be in a Bradley Manning position right now or worse had he not. Sticking around to be fucked over by the criminals that you exposed is about as wise as handing over the information he was trying to get to the public to a higher up in the NSA to take to a congressman for some political points.

the real story here is government criminality, not Snowden's method of exposing them. Conveniently, that seems to be the bigger priority of the story; making a case against the person who exposed criminal behavior instead of the criminals themselves.

There's nothing here I can really argue with, except I still believe he could have gone directly to someone like Senator Paul and gotten protection. He certainly couldn't have gone within the criminal organization obviously.

I still think it reflects poorly on him that he fled to Russia of all places, but I appreciate your point of view.

 

[TemplarKormac]

Was it worth it Snowden?

Worthiness is a subjective conclusion wherein an individual judges the quality or state of something having merit or value.

Specially, given the fact that only 3 to 5 % of the populace is conscious enough to appreciate his honorable act.

.

Honorable, if by that you mean by settling down in country that isn't too friendly with us, with all of our national secrets packed in that head of his and on a flash drive. It was good he exposed the corruption, but it is bad he is in Russia with more of our national secrets. RUSSIA.

 

[Esmeralda]

Snowden plans to settle and work in Russia – lawyer to RT

.NSA leaker Edward Snowden plans to settle in Russia and is ready to begin a court battle if the country’s migration service denies his asylum plea, Anatoly Kucherena, a Russian lawyer who assists the whistleblower, told RT.

If true, this is extremely ironic: the guy who is so concerned about the government keeping secrets from its citizens and snooping on its citizens settling in the country that is most notorious for both. What a hoot.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Maybe. We don't know the full details. It's possible he may have been paid well for his treason.

It's also possible that he's a visitor from Mars but since "we don't know the full details" isn't it a bit disingenuous to speculate on it?

Since you labelled Snowden a "criminal" in this thread it begs the question, what would you do if you found evidence that the U.S. Government was (in your opinion) engaging in very serious and ongoing violations of the constitutionally protected rights of millions of Americans?

"I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person." -- Walt Whitman

Snowden is a criminal, that's a fact. Suggesting otherwise is ridiculous.

What would I do? What I could without creating a national security nightmare. Most of us knew that the US as well as every developed nation on earth engages in such behavior. Snowden did before he reported for work on day one and signed his employment contract.

BTW, we know he's not from Mars, we don't know if he is in the employ of a foreign power or even a domestic enemy. Do we?

 

[Contumacious]

Its too nbad he coldnt hget asylum in an EU state.

EU states are easily manipulated by the continuing criminal enterprise.

.

 

[Wry Catcher]

I get your drift, he should have returned to the USA for indefinite solitary confinement and torture.

.

I wouldn't expect a criminal to do that, I would expect a criminal to run from justice. That's exactly what he did. Russia? What would Putin do? He put young female musicians in prison for protesting him.

If President Obama were like Putin, a goodly number of Republican Pols would be in prison today, as well as some of the echo chamber who post here everyday, Rush Limbaugh and the all the talking heads on Fox.

Does it make you feel superior to diss someone with an emoticon? (it shouldn't, it's childish)

WHY do you approve of the government spying on its people?

Government employee?

On welfare?

Mentally retarded?

.

Wow, the trifecta: A Red Herring, and a double ad hominem.

 

[Wry Catcher]

For the record, I don't like the idea of the Government spying. Unlike the childish and logically ridiculous, I understand it's a dangerous world and the Federal Government is charged with providing for our common defense. Thus we are faced with a double edged sword.

We know that there are enemies living within our borders, and we now know the face of terrorists. Rolling Stone did us a favor, it showed us evil can look normal. We have control over our government, as long as our votes count.

 

[Contumacious]

Was it worth it Snowden?

Maybe. We don't know the full details. It's possible he may have been paid well for his treason.

We don't know the full details. Is it possible that YOU are are being paid to post bullshit.

 

[Sunshine]

Snowden is a prime example of what happens if you tell on zerobama. We need more who have the intestinal fortitude he has.

 

[Katzndogz]

Snowden is a prime example of what happens if you tell on zerobama. We need more who have the intestinal fortitude he has.

Exactly.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Was it worth it Snowden?

Maybe. We don't know the full details. It's possible he may have been paid well for his treason.

We don't know the full details. Is it possible that YOU are are being paid to post bullshit.

It is possible that I'm being paid, but what I post is never "bullshit". You may and will disagree with my offerings but seem unable to refute them. Sarcasm and personal attacks punctuated by emoticons are simply silly and seem to be the only tools you've got.

 

[Contumacious]

Maybe. We don't know the full details. It's possible he may have been paid well for his treason.

It's also possible that he's a visitor from Mars but since "we don't know the full details" isn't it a bit disingenuous to speculate on it?

Since you labelled Snowden a "criminal" in this thread it begs the question, what would you do if you found evidence that the U.S. Government was (in your opinion) engaging in very serious and ongoing violations of the constitutionally protected rights of millions of Americans?

"I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person." -- Walt Whitman

He will never conclude that the government is acting criminally.

He is either a socialist or financially dependent on the federal government .

.