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Sacrified his life? Please stop. He merely leaked classified data and sold pieces of it here and there. He is basically living the life of a celebrity right now

Sacrified his life? Please stop. He merely leaked classified data and sold pieces of it here and there. He is basically living the life of a celebrity right now yet dramafies his existence.

Evernoob 13y ago
> living the life of a celebrity right now I very much doubt it's as glamorous as you seem to be imagining.
- kamjam 13y ago
  Exactly, he's living in hiding. Osama Bin Laden had to do the same, but for actually committing terrible crimes. Hardly the same magnitude and hardly living the life of a celebrity.
  - jusben1369 13y ago
    Hiding like Osama? Quite the opposite wouldn't you say? Don't we all pretty much know where he is all the time?
  - pearjuice 13y ago
    He is publicly available for theguardian journalists 24/7 to reply on current matters so you can assume the USA can pinpoint his exact location with precise accuracy. Unless you think the USA didn't know where Osama was either untill they did their raid?
shawabawa3 13y ago
He's condemned to be a fugitive forever now. He can never go home, probably never see his family again. He also left his girlfriend behind. So no he hasn't sacrificed his life, just his home, country, family and friends
throwaway2048 13y ago
>sold pieces of it here and there care to back that up?
mcv 13y ago
He hasn't sacrificed his life in the sense that he's dead, but he has sacrificed it in the sense that he left behind the quite comfortable life he had back home. And if he gets extradited, who knows what kind of punishment he'd receive. He was willing to risk his liberty and possibly his life for his country. That makes him a hero by any reasonable definition.
- pearjuice 13y ago
  I wish I could say something in defense to all of you Snowden-zealots who would kiss his feet when in eyesight - but I am affraid of getting karma-killed again. Don't be this naive, please.
  - detcader 13y ago
    Sick burn, it's almost as if you're acting like you're on a website that doesn't value productive discourse over petty, childish, condescending feces-slinging
jusben1369 13y ago
HN folks. I think ck2's response and pearjuice's response are both inaccurate as they represent an extreme view. It might be useful to read about celebratory and the attractions and psyche of those that are drawn to it. Many of you here share Snowden's feelings but none of you did what he did. Was it simply his sense of justice that made him do this? Or something more? If he'd stayed in the US and immediately faced the music it would be much more apparent that he's a true hero willing to sacrifice everything for his beliefs. Once he plotted the whole thing and moved to a safe place before releasing it and has looked to avoid any punishment for his actions by trying to get to or stay in safe countries it's apparent that it's not a black and white case. So I don't understand why ck2's kind of dreamy eyed quote is treated differently to anovikov and pearjuice who are in downvote hell. The answer is Snowden is neither hero nor vilan.
- ck2 13y ago
  I don't worship Snowden at all or see him as celebrity. If anything I wish there was 100% more attention on the information he brought to light instead of him. I merely recognize his extreme sacrifice and thank him for it. If we are supposed to thank the people who ran and signed up for the military to invade Iraq and empowered the insanity of the last administration, we most certainly can thank Snowden for showing us that not only has the insanity not stopped, it may have gotten far worse.
  - jusben1369 13y ago
    Well ck2 it certainly reads like something close to worship. "How is it possible for him to be inspired any further?" "Sacrificed his life" "He can't be inspired, he is the inspirer" That's pretty strong stuff.
- darkarmani 13y ago
  > If he'd stayed in the US and immediately faced the music it would be much more apparent that he's a true hero willing to sacrifice everything for his beliefs. Once he plotted the whole thing and moved to a safe place before releasing it and has looked to avoid any punishment for his actions... That is an unreasonable standard. I guess Gen. Douglas McArthur should have stayed and faced the Japanese in the Philippines? Why would hero status require being stupid about your situation?
geetee 13y ago
Proof that he sold information please?

Sacrified his life? Please stop. He merely leaked classified data and sold pieces of it here and there. He is basically living the life of a celebrity right now yet dramafies his existence.

Evernoob 13y ago

> living the life of a celebrity right now I very much doubt it's as glamorous as you seem to be imagining.

kamjam 13y ago
Exactly, he's living in hiding. Osama Bin Laden had to do the same, but for actually committing terrible crimes. Hardly the same magnitude and hardly living the life of a celebrity.
- jusben1369 13y ago
  Hiding like Osama? Quite the opposite wouldn't you say? Don't we all pretty much know where he is all the time?
- pearjuice 13y ago
  He is publicly available for theguardian journalists 24/7 to reply on current matters so you can assume the USA can pinpoint his exact location with precise accuracy. Unless you think the USA didn't know where Osama was either untill they did their raid?

shawabawa3 13y ago

He's condemned to be a fugitive forever now. He can never go home, probably never see his family again. He also left his girlfriend behind. So no he hasn't sacrificed his life, just his home, country, family and friends

throwaway2048 13y ago

>sold pieces of it here and there care to back that up?

mcv 13y ago

He hasn't sacrificed his life in the sense that he's dead, but he has sacrificed it in the sense that he left behind the quite comfortable life he had back home. And if he gets extradited, who knows what kind of punishment he'd receive. He was willing to risk his liberty and possibly his life for his country. That makes him a hero by any reasonable definition.

pearjuice 13y ago
I wish I could say something in defense to all of you Snowden-zealots who would kiss his feet when in eyesight - but I am affraid of getting karma-killed again. Don't be this naive, please.
- detcader 13y ago
  Sick burn, it's almost as if you're acting like you're on a website that doesn't value productive discourse over petty, childish, condescending feces-slinging

jusben1369 13y ago

HN folks. I think ck2's response and pearjuice's response are both inaccurate as they represent an extreme view. It might be useful to read about celebratory and the attractions and psyche of those that are drawn to it. Many of you here share Snowden's feelings but none of you did what he did. Was it simply his sense of justice that made him do this? Or something more? If he'd stayed in the US and immediately faced the music it would be much more apparent that he's a true hero willing to sacrifice everything for his beliefs. Once he plotted the whole thing and moved to a safe place before releasing it and has looked to avoid any punishment for his actions by trying to get to or stay in safe countries it's apparent that it's not a black and white case. So I don't understand why ck2's kind of dreamy eyed quote is treated differently to anovikov and pearjuice who are in downvote hell. The answer is Snowden is neither hero nor vilan.

ck2 13y ago
I don't worship Snowden at all or see him as celebrity. If anything I wish there was 100% more attention on the information he brought to light instead of him. I merely recognize his extreme sacrifice and thank him for it. If we are supposed to thank the people who ran and signed up for the military to invade Iraq and empowered the insanity of the last administration, we most certainly can thank Snowden for showing us that not only has the insanity not stopped, it may have gotten far worse.
- jusben1369 13y ago
  Well ck2 it certainly reads like something close to worship. "How is it possible for him to be inspired any further?" "Sacrificed his life" "He can't be inspired, he is the inspirer" That's pretty strong stuff.
darkarmani 13y ago
> If he'd stayed in the US and immediately faced the music it would be much more apparent that he's a true hero willing to sacrifice everything for his beliefs. Once he plotted the whole thing and moved to a safe place before releasing it and has looked to avoid any punishment for his actions... That is an unreasonable standard. I guess Gen. Douglas McArthur should have stayed and faced the Japanese in the Philippines? Why would hero status require being stupid about your situation?

geetee 13y ago

Proof that he sold information please?