Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

[lordtiberius]

That is an interesting theory, but I don't think Putin is going to turn on him, unless the price-tag was very very large..  I think if were thinking about that, he would make sure any public comments Snowden made were useful toward an end,  the recent comments might actually be helpful in paving the way for his return, if that were the direction this was heading.


Snowden is just one man and did all he could at the time..the information has been released and the damage has been done...if the US harms him unfairly it will probably make matters even worse for us going forward.


Fathertime!

You don't think Snowden is an FSB stooge?

[BillyB]

I don't think Putin is going to turn on him, unless the price-tag was very very large..

If it helps Russia's economy, Snowden is expendable unless he's able to offer more intelligence. I believe he foolishly gave it all up for free. He now has nothing to bargain with. Also, Putin may not be in power forever. A new Russian president will take Putin's place before Snowden dies and may not find Snowden useful. Snowden will go to prison eventually.


I don't have any respect for Snowden. If a person is trusted with secret information and swears an oath to the country they live in or company they work for, they should not be disclosing the information they are trusted with. I don't think Putin respects Snowden either. If Snowden worked for Russia's intelligence agency and leaked secrets, he'd probably be dead by now. America is kind to put their snitches in prison compared to other nations.

[fathertime]

If it helps Russia's economy, Snowden is expendable unless he's able to offer more intelligence. I believe he foolishly gave it all up for free. He now has nothing to bargain with. Also, Putin may not be in power forever. A new Russian president will take Putin's place before Snowden dies and may not find Snowden useful. Snowden will go to prison eventually.


I don't have any respect for Snowden. If a person is trusted with secret information and swears an oath to the country they live in or company they work for, they should not be disclosing the information they are trusted with. I don't think Putin respects Snowden either. If Snowden worked for Russia's intelligence agency and leaked secrets, he'd probably be dead by now. America is kind to put their snitches in prison compared to other nations.

Strictly from a strategic standpoint Snowden could be expendable to Russia for the right price I imagine.  One factor to consider is if he were to be released to the US govt against his will, it might discourage others in the future from doing the same.  That point alone might be enough for Russia to keep him around. 


I have respect for Snowden.  I don't know why he released what he did, and went down this path, but blind allegiance to a country that is being untruthful with it's people is something I commend him for exposing.   


Fathertime!

[lordtiberius]

I will say this for Snowden.  He exposed how the government has violated our privacy rights and we went back to our regularly scheduled programming faster than it took to make a Big Mac.

[Doll]

Fathertime, Snowden is young and believes he can improve the world.
You know what my husband (not so young)) said when he heard this about Edward? He said,  "It should  never happen under our Constitution".
See?

[calmissile]

I have respect for Snowden.  I don't know why he released what he did, and went down this path, but blind allegiance to a country that is being untruthful with it's people is something I commend him for exposing.   
Fathertime!

I have respect for Snowden......

Not surprising considering your mindset.

something I commend him for exposing. ......

Not surprising from you either, especially as it concerns to military and intelligence secrets.   You would probably be much more comfortable in a country with no military, no intelliegence to protect your country......and everyone is a pacifist.   Are there many countries that have survived agression with this policy?   Seems a review of WW I and WW II might answer this question.

[BillyB]

One factor to consider is if he were to be released to the US govt against his will, it might discourage others in the future from doing the same.  That point alone might be enough for Russia to keep him around. 

That is a very good point. It may encourage other spies around the world to feel safe snitching to Russia knowing Russia will give them a home forever.

a country that is being untruthful with it's people is something I commend him for exposing.   

He didn't expose anyhing to me. All people and their nations aren't 100% truthful. Some people and nations are more truthful than others, that's all. If I wanted to deal with 100% truthful people and live in a nation of the same, I'd be disappointed and wouldn't have any friends.


If America were so evil, Snowden shouldn't want to come back here at all. Now that he's older, wiser and travelled the world, he's seeing the light America isn't all that bad.

[lordtiberius]

He didn't expose anyhing to me.

Lol

[Doll]

Snowden doesn't want to come back to the USA, his initial intent was to live in Central America. Remember?

[fathertime]

I have respect for Snowden......

Not surprising considering your mindset.

something I commend him for exposing. ......

Not surprising from you either, especially as it concerns to military and intelligence secrets.   You would probably be much more comfortable in a country with no military, no intelliegence to protect your country......and everyone is a pacifist.   Are there many countries that have survived agression with this policy?   Seems a review of WW I and WW II might answer this question.

What a bunch of illogical conclusions, but that is not surprising coming from you.   You would probably be more comfortable in a country that dictated and dominated the world on the sly, but that trend seems to be on the downside.


Fathertime!   

[fathertime]

He didn't expose anyhing to me. All people and their nations aren't 100% truthful. Some people and nations are more truthful than others, that's all. If I wanted to deal with 100% truthful people and live in a nation of the same, I'd be disappointed and wouldn't have any friends.

Well Billy, you are a lot more seasoned then many people.  Among the young people especially, there is a % that actually believe
 USA= everything good....Russia=everything bad.    As a young person, I recall blindly feeling that way myself.  Snowden exposed a lot of rather shameful items, and I'm glad the people have the information that would have otherwise been covered up, some of it possibly forever.
 


Fathertime!   

[Muzh]

That is an interesting theory, but I don't think Putin is going to turn on him, unless the price-tag was very very large..  I think if were thinking about that, he would make sure any public comments Snowden made were useful toward an end,  the recent comments might actually be helpful in paving the way for his return, if that were the direction this was heading.

Fathertime!

Actually, Putin will never give him up. I mean, look at Hitler. When things got really bad, did he give up on Mussolini? Nope, blood brothers till the end.


Anyway, you feel he did a lot of good?


Well maybe yes. However, he is not a hero nor someone who should be looked up to. The man is a coward and a traitor. All this stuff he did was after he was safely tucked away in a foreign country not too friendly to the US instead of standing like a man and facing his accusers. IOW, he is as bad as the ones he exposed.

[Gylden]

Actually Muzh, if I recall there were several "whistle blowers" durring the time Snowden was working and they all got the shaft for "reporting through the correct channels.

[lordtiberius]

What a bunch of illogical conclusions, but that is not surprising coming from you.   You would probably be more comfortable in a country that dictated and dominated the world on the sly, but that trend seems to be on the downside.


Fathertime!   

Explain

[Muzh]

Actually Muzh, if I recall there were several "whistle blowers" durring the time Snowden was working and they all got the shaft for "reporting through the correct channels.

That may well be the case, however, once he got the ball rolling what he had to do was come back and face the accusers. So far, he is just another one looking for his 15 minutes in the spotlight.

[lordtiberius]

Actually Muzh, if I recall there were several "whistle blowers" durring the time Snowden was working and they all got the shaft for "reporting through the correct channels.

We won't know without a trial.

[Gylden]

We won't know without a trial.

Ask Thomas Drake or Bill Binney.

[fathertime]

Actually, Putin will never give him up. I mean, look at Hitler. When things got really bad, did he give up on Mussolini? Nope, blood brothers till the end.


Anyway, you feel he did a lot of good?


Well maybe yes. However, he is not a hero nor someone who should be looked up to. The man is a coward and a traitor. All this stuff he did was after he was safely tucked away in a foreign country not too friendly to the US instead of standing like a man and facing his accusers. IOW, he is as bad as the ones he exposed.

I don't agree that he is a coward, but by definition he is a traitor.  People act like being a traitor is such a terrible thing.  I don't agree with that line of thought.  Sometimes being a traitor is the best option, when you are working with a blatently dishonest govt.   Regarding him being a coward, I would say that he could have easily sat back and collected his cushy paycheck and said/did nothing.  He made a choice to come forward, and he did it knowing that he was going to be in deep shit afterwords.  That doesn't seem cowardly to me.  He released as much as he could, whereas if he had gone through proper channels he would have been shut down, like others were. 


Fathertime!   

[Muzh]

I don't agree that he is a coward, but by definition he is a traitor.  People act like being a traitor is such a terrible thing.  I don't agree with that line of thought.  Sometimes being a traitor is the best option, when you are working with a blatently dishonest govt.


Fathertime!

EGAD!!!!




Whatever you say, Benedict.

[Boethius]

He was planning on doing what he did, so he was heading to Central America.Yes, he is young and idealistic.Not that I knew everything he revealed but hus story is certainly a wake up call. Since then I haven't emailed or posted in Internet that I consider private for me. No phone conversations, nothing what comes to any secrets of my life. Only converstations "eye to eye".With cells off.I am NOT paranoic.

I don't really care if the government reviews my emails.  They are largely banal.  I also don't care if they listen to my calls.  I got used to that when I married a Soviet citizen, and that was far worse, because that information was used in cat and mouse games, and to try to break our marriage.

I'm surprised, given where you grew up, that you believe anything is secret.

[fathertime]

I doubt he'd have any interest in living in South America were he not facing life in prison in the U.S. 

I don't know why you would say this.  A LOT of men would like to live in South America over the US.  He appears to have the skills necessary to make a living over the computer which is one of the biggest obstacles for US citizens who want to live in South America, but can't figure out how to make a living. 


Fathertime!   

[Boethius]

But he didn't move there before the leak.

[fathertime]

EGAD!!!!




Whatever you say, Benedict.

That is the right attitude Mr Ziegler!


Fathertime! 

[fathertime]

But he didn't move there before the leak.

That doesn't mean that he wasn't interested in making a move.   His job probably won't allow for him to move.


Fathertime! 

[Boethius]

It also doesn't mean he was interested in moving there.


I suspect his post disclosure decision to move was based on having some knowledge of Spanish, and its proximity to the U.S.