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For some people what Snowden did was the right thing. But settling in that particular country, makes it seem like he didn't do it from pureness of his heart. Ma

For some people what Snowden did was the right thing. But settling in that particular country, makes it seem like he didn't do it from pureness of his heart. Maybe it was accidental but optics is optics. He took the easy way out that is best for him individually, which is understandable but undermined future debate on the question

mitxela 13d ago
Where else would he go? Not many countries don't extradite you to the US for that. US enemies are your only options, and that fact is solely the fault of the US.
- ShinyLeftPad 13d ago
  Nepal UAE Belarus Mongolia Vietnam Laos Montenegro Indonesia
  - marsmaps 13d ago
    the same indonesia in which the us government helped organise mass killings of hundreds of thousands of alleged left-wing political activists and voters? [0] [0] https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/10/the-indonesia-documents-and-the-us-agenda/543534/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/10/th... 'What the United States Did in Indonesia', The Atlantic
modo_mario 13d ago
>But settling in that particular country, makes it seem like he didn't do it from pureness of his heart. It was not the original intent from what i understand. But also, what country could protect him from the US other than Russia or China and wouldn't hand him over?
- ShinyLeftPad 13d ago
  > But also, what country could protect him from the US other than Russia or China and wouldn't hand him over? As i wrote he probably took the easiest way out for himself. We are in agreement. I just say what's better for himself is not necessarily better for the debate/cause. I don't know how that is controversial.
sensanaty 13d ago
> But settling in that particular country, makes it seem like he didn't do it from pureness of his heart. Maybe it was accidental but optics is optics. Who the fuck cares if it's not from "pureness of his heart"? Why are we holding him to an infinitely higher standard than the bastards in the US gov't who were doing all the spying that Snowden uncovered?
- ShinyLeftPad 13d ago
  Because if we hold them to the same standard, in the eyes of the public neither is better than the other, then there is much less interest in the whole debate on this question. guy leaks secret info about how US agencies surveil Americans and the world. in public's eye what they do is bad or illegal and what he did is at least illegal. it's a draw at best because many Americans consider national security important. If he faces prosecution after leaking = guy fights authorities for good cause, has high ground, and it is a pretty controversial bipartisan case. but he runs to a country that literally benefits from his report and then supports him by offering asylum (which it rarely does) and permanent residency and citizenship (even more rare) = support for him is less popular and more partisan
  - fsflover 13d ago
    > he runs to a country that literally benefits from his report He didn't, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49782465 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49782465

mitxela 13d ago

Where else would he go? Not many countries don't extradite you to the US for that. US enemies are your only options, and that fact is solely the fault of the US.

ShinyLeftPad 13d ago
Nepal UAE Belarus Mongolia Vietnam Laos Montenegro Indonesia
- marsmaps 13d ago
  the same indonesia in which the us government helped organise mass killings of hundreds of thousands of alleged left-wing political activists and voters? [0] [0] https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/10/the-indonesia-documents-and-the-us-agenda/543534/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/10/th... 'What the United States Did in Indonesia', The Atlantic

modo_mario 13d ago

>But settling in that particular country, makes it seem like he didn't do it from pureness of his heart. It was not the original intent from what i understand. But also, what country could protect him from the US other than Russia or China and wouldn't hand him over?

ShinyLeftPad 13d ago
> But also, what country could protect him from the US other than Russia or China and wouldn't hand him over? As i wrote he probably took the easiest way out for himself. We are in agreement. I just say what's better for himself is not necessarily better for the debate/cause. I don't know how that is controversial.

sensanaty 13d ago

> But settling in that particular country, makes it seem like he didn't do it from pureness of his heart. Maybe it was accidental but optics is optics. Who the fuck cares if it's not from "pureness of his heart"? Why are we holding him to an infinitely higher standard than the bastards in the US gov't who were doing all the spying that Snowden uncovered?

ShinyLeftPad 13d ago
Because if we hold them to the same standard, in the eyes of the public neither is better than the other, then there is much less interest in the whole debate on this question. guy leaks secret info about how US agencies surveil Americans and the world. in public's eye what they do is bad or illegal and what he did is at least illegal. it's a draw at best because many Americans consider national security important. If he faces prosecution after leaking = guy fights authorities for good cause, has high ground, and it is a pretty controversial bipartisan case. but he runs to a country that literally benefits from his report and then supports him by offering asylum (which it rarely does) and permanent residency and citizenship (even more rare) = support for him is less popular and more partisan
- fsflover 13d ago
  > he runs to a country that literally benefits from his report He didn't, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49782465 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49782465