Snowden is not a spy, traitor, nor a criminal...

[Unknown Beatle]

He is a whistleblower. With everything that's going on with Assange, Manning et al., is it any wonder he left the country?

[el_bryanto]

1. Well he's definitely a criminal

I mean he broke the law. Might well be an unjust law (I'd tend to agree with you there) - but he broke it.

Bryant

[gcomeau]

2. No, he is not a whistleblower

If you revealed the existence of some illegal activity you would be a whistleblower.

Revealing the legitimately classified details of a legal program, or the details of your nations intelligence gathering activities against international targets of interest is not "whistleblowing". It's a criminal betrayal.

[Unknown Beatle]

5. Snowden exposed what this nation

is doing to it's own citizens as well as the US spying on other nations. Just because it's legal doesn't make it moral.

Our rights are being demolished before our very eyes and we just sit idly by twiddling our thumbs.

[railsback]

7. Just because you're sad doesn't make it illegal

Snowden broke the law according to the law. Pretty simple.

[Unknown Beatle]

11. So they're writing laws

that criminalize the average Joe for whatever reason, but protect the rich, and you're okay with that?

As we speak (write), laws are being enacted that punishes that least that can afford it.

Our laws are being rewritten to serve and protect the 1%, ferchrissakes, and people are okay with that? It's mind-boggling.

[gcomeau]

13. To repeat what you were already told....

...not liking the law doesn't make it not the law.

[CakeGrrl]

15. Like it or not, he did not expose ILLEGAL activity.

Want to make it illegal? Put in a Congress that will change the laws.

He didn't blow the whistle on anything.

He's running because he took a job and has pretty much stated that the purpose was to steal information. And he's peddled that information to China and Russia, those great bastions of freedom and democracy - not. Foreign relations are being impacted.

And then he wants to go live it up free of the consequences of what he's done. Nope.

[railsback]

16. I'm saying the law is the law until changed

Until then, our law enforcement has no choice but to follow the law, no matter how bad it sucks.

[Gregorian]

6. Don't be so certain. It is still being decided. And highly likely that he is.

We're in the stage of illegal versus potentially illegal activities that he revealed.

But we do know that what started the whole mess is illegal. It's far more likely that he is a whistleblower.

[Sherman A1]

9. If such activity is in violation

of the 4th Amendment would it not be illegal?

Just because a law was passed calling it legal, depends upon the interpretation of that law.

I for one have to question the legality of the program when it gathers intelligence on American Citizens who are at least in theory protected by the Constitution, which as I understand it, was (along with the Bill of Rights) designed to protect the citizenry from it's government.

[gcomeau]

12. No.

If the Supreme court ruled on it and called it that and the law was struck down and if they THEN CONTINUED to do it without legal authorization THAT would be illegal but doing things according to the current law is the definition of legal. Which is what they were doing.

[Sherman A1]

17. It would appear to be some disagreement on the issue

of legality....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023142617

[hack89]

3. Yet he chose to ignore every whistleblower law created

He may be none of those but he certainly is a fool.

[emulatorloo]

4. Yes, we all should seek asylum in Russia immediately

Agree he is not a traitor or a spy. Seems very confused though.

[still_one]

8. No he conspired to steal government secrets, that is a crime

[kentuck]

10. Well, Dubya said he started the program to protect our nation...

...what more do you need to know?

[bike man]

18. Dubya has been gone for more than five years now, and yet, the program remains.

Why do you suppose that is?

[kentuck]

19. Dubya and Obama are meeting today...

Maybe someone will ask them both?

[NCTraveler]

14. I don't know if he is a spy...

He is a traitor...I don't know what will happen to him criminally, but as things stand now, he is not a criminal.

What is important is what information we, as citizens, have gained from his information. I really don't get why you and others want to make this all about him. I do know that you op does him no good. Any thinking being knows at this point he isn't a whistle blower.

[randome]

20. Quite a roster of heroes you have.

Assange, who said informants deserved to be killed, who broke the terms of his bail and hid out in an Ecuadorian embassy.

Manning, who didn't even try to use whistleblower channels, just dumped everything he had into Wikileaks' lap.

Now Snowden, who said he wasn't trying to hide from justice in Hong Kong...while he tried to hide from justice.

The yearning for heroes is scraping the bottom of the barrel, IMO.

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[Unknown Beatle]

23. Assange and Manning exposed

war crimes, but go ahead and demonize them. We need people to expose wrongdoing by our government, even if it means breaking the so called laws written to protect the 1%. And I never called them heroes and I don't yearn for heroes, so please stop misinterpreting what I write.

DAMN! I wished I lived in the late 60's and early - mid 70's again. I'm getting old and I just don't have the stamina that I used to, otherwise I be out protesting the illegality of our government.

Our own fucking government is stalking us but that's alright, as long as we have nothing to hide. BULLSHIT! Yes, that's right, stalking, in the name of fighting terrorism.

But people seemed unconcerned because Snowden broke the law? SMH

[baldguy]

21. He's all three.

[pnwmom]

22. He's a thief who's applied for asylum in Russia. n/t