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US hints at Edward Snowden plea bargain to allow return from Russia
- mtgx 13y agoOh, another one of US' famously unjust "plea bargains". They're just trying to make him admit that what he did is wrong in return for a "lesser punishment", to ensure nobody ever dares to become a whistleblower again if they know for sure they will be punished for it. They're basically offering him the Aaron Swartz deal: admit you're a criminal, and we're going to put you in prison for "only" 10 percent of the ridiculous amount of prison time we're threatening you with. If I were him I'd say hell no.
- mullingitover 13y agoThis might've worked if they'd offered him full clemency the same day the leaks started coming out. The handling of his case shows that capturing and punishing him was far more important to the administration than any concerns about national security.
- krapp 13y agoI think concerns about national security are why the government wanted to capture and punish him to begin with. That hasn't happened fast enough and the wind is now behind Snowden's back. Showing some semblance of the possibility of mercy at least is more politically feasible than calling for his head, and they're still hoping they can stop the release of... whatever else there could possibly be.
- Zigurd 13y agoLet's see if Carmen Ortiz and Stephen Heymann get this gig. I'm sure they'll exercise great judgement.