4 ms·

But if the entities you're disobeying regularly take extra-legal actions themselves, and the consequences of your actions are almost certain to result in extra-

But if the entities you're disobeying regularly take extra-legal actions themselves, and the consequences of your actions are almost certain to result in extra-legal punishments (rendition, torture), what are you to do? He has to expand his "concept of the rule of law" to account for the ways the American security apparatus have expanded theirs. Perhaps the NSA bigwigs view their secret, self-authorized expansions of power as being aligned the "spirit of the law"; I'm sure Snowden felt the same about his actions. Also, he didn't plan to end up in Russia.

twblalock 10y ago
He has been a rather docile propaganda symbol for the Russian state ever since he got there. If he doesn't want to be there, he's got an odd way of showing it.
- AnthonyMouse 10y ago
  And he's supposed to do what, antagonize the government of a country he can't leave which has no enforceable free speech protections and can deny his asylum and send him to prison? If the US didn't want him to be in Russia we could easily let him come home.
- MaxfordAndSons 10y ago
  I don't know what exactly you're referring to, but now that he's there and an internationally known figure, I don't think he can realistically try to go elsewhere, nor would it be wise for him to make trouble with his hosts. I highly doubt he has any love for the Russian government, but he's an American and took the actions he did to have an impact on America. You keep implicitly saying "well if he's such an idealist to have blown the whistle in the first place, why doesn't he behave like a naive idealist in all regards - and if he's not behaving thus he must not be as pure of intentions as he claims" which is just ridiculous given the reality of the situation. He knows what the US security apparatus does to true naive idealists like Drake and Crane.

4 ms·

But if the entities you're disobeying regularly take extra-legal actions themselves, and the consequences of your actions are almost certain to result in extra-

by MaxfordAndSons 10y ago

twblalock 10y ago
He has been a rather docile propaganda symbol for the Russian state ever since he got there. If he doesn't want to be there, he's got an odd way of showing it.
- AnthonyMouse 10y ago
  And he's supposed to do what, antagonize the government of a country he can't leave which has no enforceable free speech protections and can deny his asylum and send him to prison? If the US didn't want him to be in Russia we could easily let him come home.
- MaxfordAndSons 10y ago
  I don't know what exactly you're referring to, but now that he's there and an internationally known figure, I don't think he can realistically try to go elsewhere, nor would it be wise for him to make trouble with his hosts. I highly doubt he has any love for the Russian government, but he's an American and took the actions he did to have an impact on America. You keep implicitly saying "well if he's such an idealist to have blown the whistle in the first place, why doesn't he behave like a naive idealist in all regards - and if he's not behaving thus he must not be as pure of intentions as he claims" which is just ridiculous given the reality of the situation. He knows what the US security apparatus does to true naive idealists like Drake and Crane.