> Could it be that Snowden's legacy has resulted in a decrease in net productivity from stressed Americans? In the short term, it’s entirely possible - there’s

> Could it be that Snowden's legacy has resulted in a decrease in net productivity from stressed Americans? In the short term, it’s entirely possible - there’s probably some productivity metric (it’s not exactly a well-defined term) that was negatively impacted. Long term, honesty is the pillar atop which so much of what’s good in life is built (and that does include some measures of productivity: effective business decisions are those supported by fact and grounded in truth). There’s just no frame of reference in which an honest person can support sacrificing the truth in exchange for some temporary, perceived improvement in quality of life. It’s a pointless endeavor, anyway: anything built on falsehood will, eventually, be exposed. Leaks happen. Though Snowden is exceptional, his story is hardly an exception to the rule.