Edward Snowden identified as source of NSA leaks

[Wikiy]

The US has whistleblower protection laws. I'm not gonna argue out the legitimacy of the domestic programs because that's been done to death and we're not going to agree. But he also stole 4 NSA classified laptops and leaked details of perfectly legitimate foreign spying programs. You can excuse the former if you want but he's still guilty of betraying his country.

He betrayed the government. He did the country and the people a favor by letting them know of what's been going on. Maybe he just doesn't believe it's in the interest of the majority of Americans to have foreigners' rights broken simply because they're not Americans. Maybe he recognizes that breaking of rights as nationalism in the form of believing that one nation is the greatest. Maybe he believes that's not what most Americans think and feel.

You're clearly blind to this, but every single non-American can easily recognize that he was trying to do a favour to the American people.

[DPA]

Now that Venezuela and Nicaragua offered Edward Snowden asylum, what does USA do? We all know they sent the threat "Whoever grants Snowden Asylum will have to deal with the US" threat.
But what exactly was ment with that?

[Wewlad]

Oh I for one would love for him to come back to America, more specifically my neighborhood so I won't have to go far to kill a traitor.

A disgusting statement made against all true American values.

What is more important, a little bit of order or true liberty and justice for all?

[DPA]

Oh I for one would love for him to come back to America, more specifically my neighborhood so I won't have to go far to kill a traitor.

How is it now... "Land of the free..."

Yeah, seems to fit right here.

[Olo]

He betrayed the government. He did the country and the people a favor by letting them know of what's been going on. Maybe he just doesn't believe it's in the interest of the majority of Americans to have foreigners' rights broken simply because they're not Americans. Maybe he recognizes that breaking of rights as nationalism in the form of believing that one nation is the greatest. Maybe he believes that's not what most Americans think and feel.

You're clearly blind to this, but every single non-American can easily recognize that he was trying to do a favour to the American people.

You're entitled to your belief that we should never spy foreign governments but these agencies exist (in part) to do just that and with the support of the american people. For the sake of argument i'll give snowden a pass on the domestic programs. He still is not protected by wistleblower laws in reference to the foreign programs or the theft of classified laptops.

Claiming its immoral to spy on other countries is childish and assuming the american people share that view is ridiculous.

Christ, are you under the impression we didn't know the government spies on other countries? Do you think we're unaware of the existence of the CIA/NSA? Are you really that fucking dense or are you just bending over backwards to defend snowden because you don't like the US government?

[Ausr]

Still amazed that people are surprised that their government and other governments spy on their own citizens and other countries.

[Mathranos]

But Snowden's motives were at least more altruistic than those of his federal government. He sacrificed any hope for a normal life in doing what he did. What would you have done in his place? Kept silent forever?

[Laize]

Maybe he'll be fighting Venezuela's abusive government practices now?

Pretty sure he's still gonna concern himself with US Politics. I certainly would.

Hopefully Obama comes to his senses and pardons him. Or, failing that, the next President does. He may have gone about it the wrong way, but it was an important revelation to the American people and certainly doesn't amount to espionage.

[Duronos]

But Snowden's motives were at least more altruistic than those of his federal government. He sacrificed any hope for a normal life in doing what he did. What would you have done in his place? Kept silent forever?

Pretty sure most would keep silent, in fact he's the first to ever spread something like that regarding domestics. A lot of people have Top Secret clearance, more than you think, most contractors do, a lot of military do. You'd be quite surprised how many keep their mouth shut, also there is a huge extensive process to even get Top Secret clearance.

[Ebildays]

Pretty sure he's still gonna concern himself with US Politics. I certainly would.

Hopefully Obama comes to his senses and pardons him. Or, failing that, the next President does. He may have gone about it the wrong way, but it was an important revelation to the American people and certainly doesn't amount to espionage.

Hmmm, I always wonder what American people did not realize what the government was doing? Most of us was around when the Patriot Act was announced and signed into being. The killing part is people worry more about NSA having this information but not the ton of information that Google, IE, Facebook, or Twitter have about them.

What people want is absolute freedom and absolute security but that is impossible to have at the same time. The same people that are crying over what the NSA is doing will be the same people crying that the government did not do enough to protect the American people if another 9/11 happens.

[someotherguy]

What people want is absolute freedom and absolute security but that is impossible to have at the same time. The same people that are crying over what the NSA is doing will be the same people crying that the government did not do enough to protect the American people if another 9/11 happens.

Why do you say that? I hear that over and over as excuse for ignoring constitution.
There are lawfully neutral people, who want laws to be followed, or maybe changed (provided it's legal to change them, as constitution is), but the people are not OK with just ignoring the law.

And what will people say when another like-9-11 happens? What will supporters of NSA say? to install gps on all male's privates? Or am I not allowed to make wild and crazy accusations?

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

The same people that are crying over what the NSA is doing will be the same people crying that the government did not do enough to protect the American people if another 9/11 happens.

All this stuff didn't stop the Boston bombing...

[Wells]

Pretty sure he's still gonna concern himself with US Politics. I certainly would.

Hopefully Obama comes to his senses and pardons him. Or, failing that, the next President does. He may have gone about it the wrong way, but it was an important revelation to the American people and certainly doesn't amount to espionage.

Why should someone who refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of our justice system receive its mercy? If he wants a pardon he needs to stand trial first.

[Skroe]

That's hilarious. Respectable countries won't take him, so it's left to the usual South American leftists being as predictable as ever.

I'm going to love seeing Snowden get to Venezuela, considering that he can't go west, as Europe already blocked him off that way. He can't go east, because he'd have to land in China, South Korea or Japan and they'll do the same. He can't go South, then West, because that's over US allies. And he can't go over the north pole.

I guess that leaves Snowden stuck between "empty gesture" and the $15 / an hour bed he's renting.

But seriously, he could magically teleport to Venezuela tomorrow, and nothing will top the fact that Iceland couldn't be cared to take a voice vote, and Sweden and the UK blocked the EU discussion on US Spying. Far from being outraged, countries cooperate with the US. Bet mister 15k-posts-in-the-Ars Technica-forum didn't count on that.

I'm seriously loving this.

- - - Updated - - -

All this stuff didn't stop the Boston bombing...

Boston was entirely domestic.

The NSA spying was predominantly foreign.

Reason #2850 why the "it didn't stop the Boston bombing" zinger is crap.

[Kraenen]

Why should someone who refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of our justice system receive its mercy? If he wants a pardon he needs to stand trial first.

stand trial and go to jail for life?

[Aeluron Lightsong]

What so he can go to the US and get a bogus trial, then be tortured or god knows what else for the rest of his life. All under the guise of "justice".

And if were going to start with trials then you better start marching your government into the courtroom.

You actually think we'd stand for that? Right.....

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

Boston was entirely domestic.

The NSA spying was predominantly foreign.

Reason #2850 why the "it didn't stop the Boston bombing" zinger is crap.

A 51% accuracy rating in determining if a communication is foreign or not still leaves a lot of domestic communications over, does it not? PRISM collects domestic data as "collateral damage". The phone call meta data dump was domestic data.

[Kraenen]

You actually think we'd stand for that? Right.....

Why not? The government is just individuals who are responsible for their actions like any other citizen.

[Deleted]

But what is going to happen to the guy now?

Can he never, ever, enter America again without being arrested?

[Skroe]

But what is going to happen to the guy now?

Can he never, ever, enter America again without being arrested?

Or any other Western Country, or any country that values its economic and political relationship with the US (which means, everyone except Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Iran, North Korea, Belarus).

I honestly hope he makes it to Venezuela. After a little bit more time, he'll be nothing but a repository for out of date info. In a couple of months, the cameras, and the attention he gets, will wither away.

He'll know loneliness and poverty. He'll be the guest of a state that only cares to use him as a weapon, and doesn't care about him as a person. He will never see a family and he will live in constant fear of American intelligence. His life will be an empty one of an exile with no avenues for advancement in life. He will write extremist diatribes for the Guardian's Comment is Free and occasionally play host to would-be dissedents like Danny Glover and Sean Penn. But before long he will mostly be forgotten about, as yesterdays news, and alone in a humid 1 bed room apartment in Caracas.

Edward Snowden, this is your crap life.

Frankly, I think he'll hope for prison.