>and are squashing dissidents They're squashing insiders who betrayed the government that trusted them with sensitive data. Sometimes that betrayal is the righ

>and are squashing dissidents They're squashing insiders who betrayed the government that trusted them with sensitive data. Sometimes that betrayal is the right and noble thing to do, but whistleblowers are ultimately people who were placed in a position of trust and violated that trust. If the US Government were pursuing nonviolent dissenters who aren't also government employees that'd be a different story.