What would you do if you were Snowden?

[rug]

Why?

4 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	Turn myself in to U.S. authorities.
	3 (75%)
	Take the first political asylum available.
	1 (25%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[JaneyVee]

1. Why? Because I would stand and fight for what I believe in.

[hrmjustin]

2. +1

[rug]

3. How fair a trial would you expect?

[dkf]

4. They won't let you fight. They'll stick you in a hole for the rest of your life.

When it comes to this issue, nothing is normal. Laws are not followed, rulings are not released for public scrutiny. They broke international laws to get Snowden!!!

They are batshit crazy.

[baldguy]

8. The USA isn't the Soviet gulag that people like Ron Paul want it to be.

Like people that Ed Snowden supports want it to be.

[ZombieHorde]

19. The US is a torture state.

There is a good chance Snowden would be tortured if he turned himself in.

[winter is coming]

9. ^^ This. n/t

[morningfog]

38. WHat fight is there? What defense does he have?

It would be a certain 30 year sentence, but probably much more. The US would pile on the charges once in custody. So, what fight are you talking about?

[NoOneMan]

44. Not much to enjoy in a prison

Unless you enjoy the idea of fighting for beliefs while in an 8 foot cell.

[Arctic Dave]

5. Dump all info I have and then turn myself in.

Not to the US but to another country.

[dkf]

6. I guess that is Russia then since he is already there.

[Tx4obama]

7. IF I were Snowden I wouldn't be able to live with myself after doing so much harm to The USA...

... so I'd find the nearest bridge and jump off.

[rug]

10. Well, he's pissed off the intelligence community but I can't say as how I feel harmed.

It would not surprise me if suicide has crossed his mind, not from guilt, but because his old life has been irrevocably taken from him.

I hope he doesn't do it.

[HipChick]

16. The intelligence community is not so forgiving..

they will track him and help him jump of the nearest bridge whatever 3rd world country he ends up in

[ZombieHorde]

20. Oh no! A rhetorical construct looks rhetorically bad! nt

[morningfog]

42. How much harm can revealing what is public knowledge since 2006 do?

[ProSense]

11. Venezuela or bust! n/t

[rug]

12. I have a question for you.

How far will the government go to get him?

[ProSense]

18. Your guess is as good as mine,

maybe better. I have no idea.

[BeyondGeography]

13. He has another 45-50 years in front of him

That's a long time to have an issue like this hanging over you. Do a deal for 10 years max and you have open fields from 40 on. Worth a try at least.

[rug]

14. I think he's looking at longer than that, even with a plea deal.

[BeyondGeography]

17. No one really knows, do they?

Ten years is enough to make others think twice; I've seen others here suggest he could do even better than that. I'd go with ten as the best he could hope for.

[rug]

21. No, nobody does.

But this dog has its jaws on the bone. I'd expect the indictment to stack up the charges sufficient to calculate a plea in the decades, not years.

[morningfog]

39. The charges and years will pile on exponentially.

He is facing a life sentence.

[BeyondGeography]

41. I remember his father a few weeks ago

saying, Ed, no more leaks, stop already, in so many words. There has been a self- destructive aspect to his behavior; either that or he was getting very bad advice or both. The old man has Bruce Fein to represent his son. An ideologue, but someone who knows his way around the room.

The alternative to surrender is a lifetime of looking over your shoulder and praying that your protectors stay in power. Depends what you're cut out for, I guess.

[railsback]

15. The ONLY chance to be viewed in a positive light, with some sort of legitimacy in the future

is for him to turn himself in and face the music. Make his trial a spectacle, a platform to rage against the machine.

If he ends up in Latin America, he'll just disappear into obscurity, a sad ending..

[ZombieHorde]

22. Maybe he'll fall in love in Latin America and have a beautiful family.

That would be a happy ending.

[rug]

23. Oh the trial would be a spectacle all right.

The bulk of defense motions denied on national security grounds, the courthouse cordoned off to prevent demonstrations. A spectacle indeed.

[ZombieHorde]

24. I would flee for the same reason I use an oven mitt when pulling a pan out the oven.

I don't want to get hurt. The US government helps many people, but it harms many people too. One has to be careful.

[rug]

30. He should heed the advice of the young Julian Assange.

[ZombieHorde]

32. That is really cute. :) nt

[Catherina]

25. I think we need a third choice

because first political asylum available was Russia which he turned down because of the conditions.

I would certainly not turn myself in.

[rug]

33. What choice does he have besides asylum and surrender?

[Catherina]

37. Maybe I'm too picky lol

3rd choice: Wait for an asylum offer that met my needs (as opposed to jumping on the first one)

[jazzimov]

26. I'm not Snowden, I wouldn't have made such a

lying statement against our government in the first place. I am not a Ron Paul fanatic. I can't imagine anything that would make me turn against my Government unless I honestly felt that My Government was acting illegally.

I actually considered this during Bush's declaration of the Powers of the Unitary Executive - which gave him the power of a Dictator. Luckily Obama rejected this - which some criticized him for because he did not embrace the same theory and instead tried to negotiate with the RW in order to reach some kind of "Compromise".

At least he tried.

[rug]

34. The only way to determine the lies is to let all the information out.

[TlalocW]

27. Marry the hot Russian spy

But that's just me.

TlalocW

[rug]

36. He might think twice about that.

[PoliticAverse]

28. Talk to a good attorney. n/t

[allin99]

29. wait til all the requests were back, weigh my options.

[Zorra]

31. Only someone who has never been locked in a cage would ask why. nt

[JI7]

40. if it was really about informing the American people of what is going on i would turn myself in

and i would never have left in the first place.

but if it's about my ego i would probably do what snowden did and take advantage of wikileaks or anyone else who wants to pay the bills . especially if i get to stay in luxury hotels .

[Cleita]

43. Only two choices?

I would never have admitted I did it until I toppled all the empires, and even then I might never have come out.