5 ms·
Hasn't Russia already granted him asylum?
by empath75 7y ago
Hasn't Russia already granted him asylum?
- na85 7y agoThey have. I'd rather live in France than Russia, though. Rule of Law, better climate, more familiar culture, theoretically friendlier government, etc.
- simonh 7y agoAlso the optics of a campaigner for open and accountable government living under the protection of Vladimir Putin could be better.
- theandrewbailey 7y ago> better climate Would asylum allow access to overseas possessions? France has some nice tropical locations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_departments_and_territories_of_France https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_departments_and_terri...
- empath75 7y agoThat's not the way asylum works, though.
- na85 7y agoIn the sense that beggars can't be choosers about where they live? Of course. But no doubt that's why he wants asylum in France extended to him.
- unicornfinder 7y agoTo be fair Russia is huge. The climate varies pretty wildly depending on where in Russia you are.
- amalcon 7y agoThere are a number of reasons that he might prefer not to live in Russia. An example obvious political reason: Russia has a lot of the same issues he criticizes in the US. He'd probably like to safely criticize Russia for these things as well. An example obvious personal reason: France is a much nicer country to live in (due to the weather if nothing else).
- meitham 7y agoHe would be safer though in Russia. It is far easier for the CIA to kidnap him illegally out of France, if they fail to extradite him legally. France might protest such an event a lot but it will unlikely lead to a military confrontation. The US would never likely do this in Russia.
- johnchristopher 7y agoWhat would be the consequences of the US illegally deporting Snowden from France like that? What would be printed in the newspapers?
- jessaustin 7y ago"Snowden goes missing while hiking in Alps; assumed to be buried in glacier crevasse"
- AstralStorm 7y agoPresuming he does something stupid like that, and this cover would ruin US goal of making an example.
- jessaustin 7y agoHe wouldn't have to choose to go hiking, or even venture within 100 km of the mountains, in order for that headline to be reported. USA has plenty of whistleblower examples anyway. We've tortured Chelsea Manning for years. Others who have been punished, to varying degrees, include Bill Binney, Reality Winner, and John Kiriakou. Presumably there are others of whom we're not aware. These people have done really small things to rouse the ire of the TLAs. How could they punish Snowden in a proportional fashion, anyway?
- jacquesm 7y agoOh there would be terrible outrage. And then people would get on with their lives. Whistleblowers get thrown under the nearest bus, it is a law of nature.
- Waterluvian 7y agoYes. And you can't shop around asylum as many of these comments imply. A country is going to ask, "show me the immediate danger you're in."
- jascii 7y agoYou can "shop around" as much as you want. Whether to grant asylum however, is entirely up to the host country.
- maxlybbert 7y agoRussia apparently granted him temporary asylum that they renew every few years.