Is Edward Snowden a hero or a traitor?

 

 

 

Contributor Opinion.

 

 

Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning committed a serious crime in the eyes of the U.S. Government for releasing information about questionable government behavior. (But Bradley Manning’s case might be a lot less morally justified since lots of documents were released)

 
Jay Carney and the rest of the Obama administration are looking for Edward Snowden, and will see how that plays with Russian affairs! As in their view he is a criminal and has revealed information about the National Security Agency that should not be made public. (The Republicans seem quiet about the whole case)
 
But lets face it. The NSA has also broken the rules and violated a few amendments by spying on innocent U.S. citizens. So it seem like the Obama administration has only focused on Snowden’s problem, but forgotten they also have broken the rules. 
 
So the questions is simple:
 
Is Snowden a traitor or a hero? 

 

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George Bailey. 

“Judge Napolitano of Fox News said today that Snowden committed an act of “Personal courage and patriotism.”  Napolitano is the only national figure on any mainstream media outlet I know of, that making such a point.  And I agree.”

 

Majia Holmer Nadesan.

“I don’t have all the details so I cannot say with certainty whether I think Snowden is a traitor or hero, but my strong sentiment is toward the latter.

The Obama Administration has a very clear record of prosecuting whistleblowers using the 1917 Espionage Act. The ACLU asserts the Obama Administration has the worst record for prosecuting whistleblowers among recent administrations (E.g., see http://www.aclu.org/national-security/protecting-whistle-blowers-civil-liberties-minute).

Did Snowden really jeopardize national security by leaking that the government was spying on nearly all its citizens? What evidence is there that disclosure of this fact endangered US citizens’ security?

What about the US constitutional principle of privacy being violated by widespread electronic surveillance? Doesn’t the invasion of privacy by government count as a threat to the security of our constitution as a democratic nation?

I personally see a direct threat posed by widespread surveillance, whereas the threat posed by our new knowledge of surveillance is unproven.”

 

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Hossein Amiri.

“About Snowden, yes he is a traitor certainly because all citizens gave a lot too keep the countries secret.”

 

Claude Nougat.

“Snowden is neither a traitor nor a hero – possibly, he’s a scapegoat. Honestly, have you seen his face, have you listened to him talk? He’s a guy like you and me.
Run of the mill citizen who got upset when he realized NSA was spying on other run of the mill citizens, whether Americans or from abroad. Incidentally, this is not a story that only concerns America. It concerns Europe too, the whole world indeed. I’m not surprised Putin won’t allow extradition – it goes to show how strongly people around the world feel about this…

Why do I say he’s a scapegoat? Because this way the American Government has mixed up two issues: the privacy one with the “protection from terrorism/homeland safety one”.

For the US Authorities, Snowden is a traitor, full stop. That conveniently shifts the focus away from the more important issue: privacy or more precisely “Big Brother is Watching You”. With American modern technology, Orwell’s terrifying vision in 1984 is coming to pass. Now, Obama is not Putin or Morsi, much less North Korea’s Kim. But can we trust the American government to resist the totalitarian temptation over the next 100 years?”

 

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Gwendolyn Lindsay-Jackson. 

“It’s not that I don’t trust President Obama or his current administration. I voted for him and I am a major supporter.

The concern I have is what precedent will the surveillance  actions of the NSA on United States citizens and criminalization of whistle blowers set for the future when a current administration  is replaced by one that you do not trust.

Therefore, for me,  the issue goes beyond whether or not Mr. Snowden is a hero or a traitor.”

 

Catherine Haig.

Catherine Haig.

“Eric Snowden has said the only reason he joined the NSA as a contractor was to expose them. He hasn’t made any money off leaking these documents.

Obama has revealed himself to be the GREAT PRETENDER and as a President, Black or White, he is one of the worst I have ever seen. May America never be cursed with the likes of him again and I voted for him. He was elected on his race alone by many white people which I believe is racism in its truest form.

There is no such thing as reverse racism. It just is or isn’t. Snowden has nothing to gain so this makes him a hero, a patriot and the more Obama’s Admin continues to chase him and admonish other countries who would help him escape US capture, the more stupid the United States looks. SMH in total disappointment that anyone’s private info would be suspect for NSA.

If America wants to stop terrorism in its country better utilize Guantanamo Bay Detainment Center and dump suspects in there when they are captured as illegals. Better utilize Immigration agencies that have not done its job. Agencies like Homeland Security. Instead of letting everyone in and then spying on them; nip it in the bud before these illegals come here to kill us.

Our safety should not come on the heels of our privacy and freedoms.”

 

Florin M. Anton.

“He’s not a hero. What he managed to intend by revealing those documents? Has he done any good by doing that? Did he help people? What the NSA has done is wrong, but that’s not a way to ‘pay them back’ by revealing secret documents.

On the other hand,, if he exposed the bad behavior of government applied to US citizens, that’s good, people need to know that the ones who are supposed to protect national interest are hurting them by not defending their privacy. So all depends on what he revealed by exposing those documents, focusing on the people’s reactions, by maybe not the government’s.

 

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Nwachukwu Egbunike.

“The question is simple but I doubt if the answer an easy ‘traitor’ or ‘hero’ response.

Snowden was not only heroic but certainly should be celebrated for valour. It takes much more than courage to knock oneself into such misery- threat to life and uncertainty to one’s family. If Snowden was merely selfish – like most of us are – then he has no business revealing such highly sensitive surveillance details to global sunlight. What does he stand to gain? Fame or wealth? I very much doubt that he had such pretensions, rather I perceive one who has a duty of conscience and had to bow to it’s voice at great personal expense.

And coming from a continent, where the US and other Western nations are always pontificating about the beauty of free speech, democratic ideals and human rights, I am shocked to say the least. Snowden has confirmed what many of us have always inferred that the democracy crusade of US is not a dogma of faith. As such, if the most democratic nation of earth, spies on her citizens with such contempt, on what moral grounds would she demand that privacy be a universal doctrine?

With the above, though not exhausting, solidifies Snowden as a hero! That he dared to take up the most powerful government, expose her soiled underwear to the stunning gaze of the entire world cannot be anything else but heroic.

However, Snowden was under no delusion about the consequences of his action. He knew by taking this road of no return he has also signed his death warrant. Laws are necessary, else anarchy reigns. Granted that some laws are unjust, but there be ‘unjust’ law in the absence of law. In other words, Snowden in the eyes of the laws of the US is a traitor.

This now brings us to the burning question? Why should the law burn and not protect whistle blowers? Obviously that is the question, but I’m afraid that the answer is blowing in the wind…”

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