.
I don't know whether or not that makes you right wing, but I don't think Snowden is a hero. What positive change has come about because of his dissemination of information?
Hello SS:
Change takes time. But, we wouldn't even KNOW that we need change if Edward Snowden didn't let us know. I'm GLAD somebody told me that my government is willfully VIOLATING the Constitution..
excon
Nope, it means you believe the government should be limited by the Constitution, as intended...something I do not see from most on either side of the aisle.
I'm really not sure we needed Snowden to let us know the government was violating the Constitution. Many knew it long ago, just failed to do anything about it.
Not at all. In a famous case, the Supreme Court decided that it was legal for Daniel Ellsberg to publicize the Pentagon Papers regarding our involvement in Viet Nam. Why wouldn't that decision apply in this case?
No
I think snowden was the start of something that could be really beneficial to us to stop the lies and corruption in politics. I do not think he should be in prison. I am also a democrat who is at odds with other democrats over this because the party is unthinking people who go back and forth as they are pulled by their nose. These email hacks are all a good thing because it shows how bad these people are and why they cannot be trusted.
Or had suspicions and would have liked to have done something and were unable to provide proof. Snowden removed the need for debate on whether it occurs and countered at a stroke the conventional methods of deniability governments habitually use(d).
Not only that, but repeated protestations of innocence were seen to be what they were - lies. It's one thing to suspect, quite another to know that your government wants to screw you and your rights.
Snowden's actions placed western political establishments in the cross-hairs and gave 'we the people' undeniable evidence that those whose job it is to work for you and me actually often work for someone else, even if in a benign manner.
People may well have been compromised, even put in danger. Lots of money may indeed have been lost and much work has undoubtedly been wasted. But since little of this money or work is for 'our' benefit, I think we should all give the bloke a round of applause. :)
I'm afraid so Nevan. One of the last things anyone wants to do is embarrass a government. Not a one takes kindly to that, even if it's their own illegality and incompetence that's being revealed.