4 ms·

Ask HN: Do you think there's a possibility Obama will pardon Snowden?

18 points by mikemajzoub 11y ago

joeclark77 11y ago
He generally sides with America's enemies, so he'd probably be favorable to the idea. However, he doesn't really care about anyone other than himself --- look how he betrayed his friends in Benghazi when he thought it would help his re-election chances --- so if I were Snowden I wouldn't bet on it. If we do manage to catch and convict him, though, I'd advise the judge to schedule a prompt execution before Obama gets out of bed.
- nickysielicki 11y ago
  How did you find this website?
- spacemanmatt 11y ago
  Inappropes.
hkarthik 11y ago
I don't believe so. If Snowden receives a pardon, it will be after a few decades of meaningful reform towards better privacy for citizens. I can't see this happening until most of the current political leaders have retired. The current generation will see him as a traitor and embarrassment for years to come. The worst case scenario is that he will only be pardoned posthumously, ala Alan Turing. I hope that does not turn out to be the case.
- Nadya 11y ago
  I'd argue the worst case scenario is that he is never pardoned.
Diamons 11y ago
Not a chance. A president pardoning someone who released tons of information about the government is unheard of. It's the same reason why the blue shield exists and why judges rarely convict cops. When you start turning on the system everything starts falling apart.
kw71 11y ago
Obama absolutely will not. His track record of abusing the "Justice" system to harass and torture whistleblowers says so. Yes, it is torture. Facing an unwinnable war against the megalith for no reason other than you did the right thing will ruin your life, probably your family's, and adversely affect your health so that it will shorten your life. Edit: It's my belief that exposing crimes committed by the government, which is charged with both obeying the law and enforcing it, is the right thing to do.
- patzerhacker 11y ago
  >It's my belief that exposing crimes committed by the government, which is charged with both obeying the law and enforcing it, is the right thing to do. I believe you should get automatic, blanket immunity for crimes that directly produce tangible evidence of government wrongdoing.
bdcravens 11y ago
No. A future president, possibly. This administration has shown a commitment to, and a strengthening of, the status quo of increased monitoring. The only changes they've made in that respect has been when they were caught with their pants down.
smuss77 11y ago
He hasn't been convicted of anything. Can't pardon someone without something to pardon them of.
- a3n 11y ago
  President Ford pardoned his predecessor Nixon, even though Nixon had not been prosecuted or convicted. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=nixon+pardon+ford&ia=about https://duckduckgo.com/?q=nixon+pardon+ford&ia=about
rrrx3 11y ago
Not a snowball's chance in hell.
pc2g4d 11y ago
I'm going to go with "possibly." End-of-final-term presidential pardons are not subject to quite the same calculus as decisions made during term, i.e. reelection is not a consideration. Obama's constitutional law idealism may have been severely corrupted by the pressures of his current role, but it's still there. I could see him feeling conflicted about Snowden's de facto exile, and thus being willing to issue a pardon in his last hour in office. Not likely. But possible. P(Pardon) > 0.1 ?
- patzerhacker 11y ago
  >Obama's constitutional law idealism may have been severely corrupted by the pressures of his current role, but it's still there. Really? I have two words for you: Predator drones[1]. The sitting president of the United States, who has actually ordered drone strikes against American citizens who surely have Constitutional rights, joking about droning more American citizens. Whatever bit of constitutional law idealism was there was either an act or long since gone. [1] https://youtu.be/WWKG6ZmgAX4 https://youtu.be/WWKG6ZmgAX4
xilinx_guy 11y ago
Unlikely. The U.S. voters best chance is to elect a candidate in 2016 who will pardon Snowden in 2020 on his last day in office. Then we can draft Snowden's ass and make him president for 4 or 8 years. That's a suitable punishment for his crimes.
- jjaredsimpson 11y ago
  Can't tell if this is a joke about the office of president being terrible and thus punishment for Snowden. Or a joke about Snowden being a hero and deserving to be president.
  - BrandonMarc 11y ago
    Agreed. It truly works both ways. Nice!
auganov 11y ago
I don't think anyone will unless there's massive reform/change. Otherwise - do people just keep blowing the same whistle?

18 points by mikemajzoub 11y ago

He generally sides with America's enemies, so he'd probably be favorable to the idea. However, he doesn't really care about anyone other than himself --- look how he betrayed his friends in Benghazi when he thought it would help his re-election chances --- so if I were Snowden I wouldn't bet on it. If we do manage to catch and convict him, though, I'd advise the judge to schedule a prompt execution before Obama gets out of bed.

nickysielicki 11y ago
How did you find this website?
spacemanmatt 11y ago
Inappropes.

hkarthik 11y ago

I don't believe so. If Snowden receives a pardon, it will be after a few decades of meaningful reform towards better privacy for citizens. I can't see this happening until most of the current political leaders have retired. The current generation will see him as a traitor and embarrassment for years to come. The worst case scenario is that he will only be pardoned posthumously, ala Alan Turing. I hope that does not turn out to be the case.

Nadya 11y ago
I'd argue the worst case scenario is that he is never pardoned.

Diamons 11y ago

Not a chance. A president pardoning someone who released tons of information about the government is unheard of. It's the same reason why the blue shield exists and why judges rarely convict cops. When you start turning on the system everything starts falling apart.

kw71 11y ago

Obama absolutely will not. His track record of abusing the "Justice" system to harass and torture whistleblowers says so. Yes, it is torture. Facing an unwinnable war against the megalith for no reason other than you did the right thing will ruin your life, probably your family's, and adversely affect your health so that it will shorten your life. Edit: It's my belief that exposing crimes committed by the government, which is charged with both obeying the law and enforcing it, is the right thing to do.

patzerhacker 11y ago
>It's my belief that exposing crimes committed by the government, which is charged with both obeying the law and enforcing it, is the right thing to do. I believe you should get automatic, blanket immunity for crimes that directly produce tangible evidence of government wrongdoing.

bdcravens 11y ago

No. A future president, possibly. This administration has shown a commitment to, and a strengthening of, the status quo of increased monitoring. The only changes they've made in that respect has been when they were caught with their pants down.

smuss77 11y ago

He hasn't been convicted of anything. Can't pardon someone without something to pardon them of.

a3n 11y ago
President Ford pardoned his predecessor Nixon, even though Nixon had not been prosecuted or convicted. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=nixon+pardon+ford&ia=about https://duckduckgo.com/?q=nixon+pardon+ford&ia=about

rrrx3 11y ago

Not a snowball's chance in hell.

pc2g4d 11y ago

I'm going to go with "possibly." End-of-final-term presidential pardons are not subject to quite the same calculus as decisions made during term, i.e. reelection is not a consideration. Obama's constitutional law idealism may have been severely corrupted by the pressures of his current role, but it's still there. I could see him feeling conflicted about Snowden's de facto exile, and thus being willing to issue a pardon in his last hour in office. Not likely. But possible. P(Pardon) > 0.1 ?

patzerhacker 11y ago
>Obama's constitutional law idealism may have been severely corrupted by the pressures of his current role, but it's still there. Really? I have two words for you: Predator drones[1]. The sitting president of the United States, who has actually ordered drone strikes against American citizens who surely have Constitutional rights, joking about droning more American citizens. Whatever bit of constitutional law idealism was there was either an act or long since gone. [1] https://youtu.be/WWKG6ZmgAX4 https://youtu.be/WWKG6ZmgAX4

xilinx_guy 11y ago

Unlikely. The U.S. voters best chance is to elect a candidate in 2016 who will pardon Snowden in 2020 on his last day in office. Then we can draft Snowden's ass and make him president for 4 or 8 years. That's a suitable punishment for his crimes.

jjaredsimpson 11y ago
Can't tell if this is a joke about the office of president being terrible and thus punishment for Snowden. Or a joke about Snowden being a hero and deserving to be president.
- BrandonMarc 11y ago
  Agreed. It truly works both ways. Nice!

auganov 11y ago

I don't think anyone will unless there's massive reform/change. Otherwise - do people just keep blowing the same whistle?