4 ms·
Well pardons are not granted to innocent people. He committed a crime yes. But wasn't it for the greater good?
by soufron 10y ago
Well pardons are not granted to innocent people. He committed a crime yes. But wasn't it for the greater good?
- socmag 10y agoX-Altruism... It's a thing http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/walking-the-line-between-good-and-evil-the-common-thread-of-heroes-and-villains/ http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/walking-the-l...
- nabla9 10y agoThis is the main issue. Treason is a political crime. Snowden committed a crime to reveal much bigger crime and danger to constitution and American people. He didn't benefit from it personally. Legal system or constitution is not end-all. Laws just approximate what is considered morally correct action and their interpretations often follow little behind the changes. Big positive changes in society often start with breaking the law. Snowden may be legally traitor now but in the deeper sense he did not betray his country.
- tptacek 10y agoSnowden is not, and cannot be, charged with treason for his actions in leaking those documents.
- nabla9 10y agoI used treason as colloquialism to describe two felony charges under the Espionage Act. The intent of the Eespionage Act was to protect U.S against traitors inside US. >I am sorry to say that the gravest threats against our national peace and safety have been uttered within our own borders. There are citizens of the United States, I blush to admit, born under other flags but welcomed under our generous naturalization laws to the full freedom and opportunity of America, who have poured the poison of disloyalty into the very arteries of our national life; http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29556 http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29556