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> Snowden’s true motivations are far less certain. based on what? do you understand what he risked and is sacrifising for letting you know what was illegally d

> Snowden’s true motivations are far less certain. based on what? do you understand what he risked and is sacrifising for letting you know what was illegally done?

jhbadger 2y ago
The problem with a whistleblower from an intelligence agency is much like one from a tobacco company. Yes, they may be nobler than their peers in those institutions who didn't blow the whistle, but at the end of the day, they are the sort of person who would work at an intelligence agency or tobacco company in the first place.
- m463 2y ago
  You seem to imply that someone working for an intelligence agency is of poor character. There are good people in intelligence agencies. And there are also good whistleblowers.
  - jhbadger 2y ago
    It's difficult to imagine a person of good character, knowing the atrocities intelligence agencies regularly do (overthrow inconvenient foreign governments, spy on and blackmail civil rights and other groups trying to make a better society) joining such an agency. At best they simply don't care about being associated with such a agency. Otherwise they actually enjoy the idea. We knew since the 1960s the crap intelligence agencies do.
    - talldayo 2y ago
      > At best they simply don't care about being associated with such a agency. Otherwise they actually enjoy the idea. You can assume that, but it's like saying that anyone working in big tech supports child labor in lithium mines. In the strictest sense you're kinda right, but a lot of these people are legitimately stupid and don't know how the sausage is made or think they're one of the "good guys". I'd rather those people have a late change-of-heart than continue to stay complicit in things we can both easily agree are immoral.
- gklitz 2y ago
  > but at the end of the day, they are the sort of person who would work at an intelligence agency or tobacco company in the first place. Yes? Snowdens position was never that the government shouldn’t be allowed to spy on citizens, it was just that individual warrants should be sought instead of what he perceived as illegal “catch all” approvals of broad spying on everyone.
- Log_out_ 2y ago
  So you resent him for having lungs that could blow a whistle?

> Snowden’s true motivations are far less certain. based on what? do you understand what he risked and is sacrifising for letting you know what was illegally done?

jhbadger 2y ago

The problem with a whistleblower from an intelligence agency is much like one from a tobacco company. Yes, they may be nobler than their peers in those institutions who didn't blow the whistle, but at the end of the day, they are the sort of person who would work at an intelligence agency or tobacco company in the first place.

m463 2y ago
You seem to imply that someone working for an intelligence agency is of poor character. There are good people in intelligence agencies. And there are also good whistleblowers.
- jhbadger 2y ago
  It's difficult to imagine a person of good character, knowing the atrocities intelligence agencies regularly do (overthrow inconvenient foreign governments, spy on and blackmail civil rights and other groups trying to make a better society) joining such an agency. At best they simply don't care about being associated with such a agency. Otherwise they actually enjoy the idea. We knew since the 1960s the crap intelligence agencies do.
  - talldayo 2y ago
    > At best they simply don't care about being associated with such a agency. Otherwise they actually enjoy the idea. You can assume that, but it's like saying that anyone working in big tech supports child labor in lithium mines. In the strictest sense you're kinda right, but a lot of these people are legitimately stupid and don't know how the sausage is made or think they're one of the "good guys". I'd rather those people have a late change-of-heart than continue to stay complicit in things we can both easily agree are immoral.
gklitz 2y ago
> but at the end of the day, they are the sort of person who would work at an intelligence agency or tobacco company in the first place. Yes? Snowdens position was never that the government shouldn’t be allowed to spy on citizens, it was just that individual warrants should be sought instead of what he perceived as illegal “catch all” approvals of broad spying on everyone.
Log_out_ 2y ago
So you resent him for having lungs that could blow a whistle?