Edward Snowden on the Move

I'm pretty torn on the last part, since he hasn't given any indication of providing information to the enemy, but there are obvious grounds to suspect that he could or has.

The information surrounding Snowden is too sparse which is why emotions and suspicions are flying all over. When that happens, just think how he'd benefit out of it.

If it were solely greed motivated, a grand gesture of sending documents to the press with explicit instructions of some diligence would go against selling out to the enemy for profit.

I suspect that he'd leave the idea on the table to the US in order to prevent a full court press against him, but for him to actually carry it out, I'd wonder if Snowden considers the damage it would have on public opinion and future whistleblowers. It'd totally be counterproductive against leaking to the media in the first place.

Of course revealing himself so early showed a bit of lack in planning, but he did mention that he wanted to confine the fallout to him rather than his co-workers who are still at the government.

Is there a deeper intent involved? Muslim splinter group Illuminati pulling the strings of forged birth documents for people of Kenyan birth?

Nothing so far has indicated otherwise, but I do remain cautious of where this is headed...


As for the earlier part of your reply, the Obama administration has leveraged the Justice Department to prosecute whistleblowers to the fullest extent of the written and sometimes arbitrary law. Thomas Drake went through a years long trial that could've sent him to prison for several decades. Aaron Schwartz grabbed several published scientific papers from a proprietary server through an open MIT network and was charged with hacking and several counts of wirefraud that would've landed him 30 years in prison.

Their tactics have been heavy handed as an example for everyone else. As Snowden worked in intelligence, I'd suspect the treatment would be heavier than Ellsburg's. Especially with the hazy legal apparatus Bush enacted and has stood up against legal challenge.

 

Military justice that is unconstitutional does have relevance. You're talking about Snowden having to submit to rule of law---when the federal government clearly hasn't, regardless of your arbitrary civilian/military split.

And wow, dude, way to go out on a limb and say that it's alright for the government to murder whistle-blowers because they're looking for martyrdom---for someone who is very high on rule of law, you do know that the crimes under which Snowden are convicted of, even if true, carry no death penalty implications?

didn't you once snort about America being based on rule of law and not liberal feelings? I'd wonder about your bloodlust as well, as it clearly seems to be disregarding the rule of law.

And has it really come to this? Whistle-blowers are looking to be martyrs?

come on.

 

It's funny that people who don't know and don't want to know the secrets think they can make a determination about how the person who DOES know how these things are handled internally should behave.

 

This guy is lucky he leaked US information. If he had leaked Cuba, Venzuelan or Ecuadorian information he'd find no asylum and they'd execute him.

 

Question: is it possible he plans to move every so often in order for the host coutnry not to have enough time to complete an extradition process?

He should do a world tour, would be interesting seeing Kerry backing up his comments lol. Didn't Kerry oppose the Vietnam war based partly on his own service but also the Pentagon Papers?

 

If he leaked European data, would he face thirty years in prison?

 

Not sure how Europeans deal with this stuff.

I wasn't trying to defend America with that post by the way.

 

The only thing I can think of is if Ecuador gives him asylum status and gives him a refugee travel document (which can be used like a passport). I guess the Ecuadorian embassy would have to send someone into the Russian airport since Snowden is in limbo right now like the Iranian guy who got stuck in the airport in Paris.

 

like USA wont' execute Snowden?

 

They won't. But being under indefinite detention and tortured and treated like a traitor by the entire staff of a secret prison is worse than death - which is why, for example, Obama orders his peeps to force feed those trying to starve themselves to death.

 

You can travel without a passport if your are in danger IIRC.

As for the Kerry thing, Snowden is probably worth it for Russia and China.

 

I would love to see Kerry confront Putin about these "consequences."

Putin: "Oh you want him? He's right here in the Kremlin. Come get him. I'll escort you."
Kerry: "Oh I'm all set. I have wind surfing this afternoon."
Putin steals Superbowl rings and dominates life in general.

 

I know facts don't really matter to insane conspiracy theorists, but he's been charged with actual crimes to be tried in civilian courts. If convicted, his max sentence is 10 years in jail.

 

lol @ "actual crimes"

This is the story about the time when the US government has been proven to be deceitful and dishonest. I would be a truly sick person if I believed that the US just wants to, as they claim, try him in a civilian court and send him away to a suitable facility for 10 years. I would be really mentally ill if I thought there is any other outcome than what the pattern has shown: he will be punished in ways that can be kept secret, until the next whistleblower reveals it.

Today, you're the conspiracy theorist because the due process you talk about is slowly turning into a myth.

Hilarious. Because that's what they said they'll do right? Right. Thanks for the cowardly and condescending comments, but you can shove that insult where the sun don't shine. I don't live in a world where it is normal for whistleblowers go to jail. You keep waving that red/blue flag and ask yourself why there doesn't seem to be a line these people can cross to convince you they are anything but fair. There's your theory right there.

 

Wait - governments do national security things in secret? I'm SHOCKED! If you have proof of the US violating its own laws, please share that proof and the laws referred to.

It will be funny to quote this post if and when they actually do catch him.

You mean the pattern of other whistleblowers being tried in civilian courts?

In your country, what happens to people that illegally reveal state secrets? Are they treated like heroes? I'm so curious about this mythical world you live in where, if not for the USA, there would be peace and sunshine and everyone would be happy and ethical.

 

Again with the flag-waving use of "USA"!! lol You're hilarious.

Unlike you, I don't care about the mythical concept of the USA you espouse, I love American people, and I love the essence of the American constitution. Also, I don't like Republicans or Democrats, but I like plenty of the political goals of common Americans. This may sound crazy, but America =/= Americans, and hatred of American policies =/= hatred of Americans.

Keep satisfying yourself with being better than and comparing yourself to the most oppressive regimes, see where that gets you. You seem to have a habit of "what about YOU??? what about THEM??" finger-pointing. Your due process in such cases is miles ahead of those of the country you mention - and that is 100% irrelevant to this discussion.

But most important of all your comments:

Here, your fundamental hypocrisy rears its ugly head. As if you would ever f*****g know anything they did to him besides what they leak and what 'criminal' whistleblowers leak. Other than for the brief period you get fed information by the media, not even a whisper will be heard about it.

But you're right, since the entire world won't be ethical, then lack of ethics is fine. Typical of you based on your few posts here.