Should Edward Snowden Be Pardoned?

@vivify said
Lost in the turmoil of the 2020 pandemic and the U.S. election, debates went around regarding whether Edward Snowden should be pardoned

Amnesty International believes he should be:
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-pardon

Meanwhile the WaPo said he shouldn't:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/08/18/edward-snowden-deserves-trial-not- ...[text shortened]... s of American citizens revealed the NSA spied on Americans, be pardoned? Is he a hero or a traitor?

I'm pretty small-c conservative when it comes to these things. I don't like the idea of intentionally violating the terms of your employment.

Still, intent matters, and Snowden's intent was to tip off his fellow citizens of what he reasonably perceived to be illegal activities by its government. Thus, in my mind, he's a Patriot, not a traitor.

I'd have no problem with him getting fired from the CIA/NSA. Hey, those were the terms of his employment and he violated them.

But yes, I'd pardon him.

Whether he later became a Russian sympathizer is beside the point.

@sh76 said
Whether he later became a Russian sympathizer is beside the point.

I'm not sure if he's really a Russian sympathizer or if he's being coerced by the government.

It seems out of character for someone who uprooted his life and risked capture to speak against government tyranny to then defend a brutal, unprovoked invasion by a dictator.

@vivify said
I'm not sure if he's really a Russian sympathizer or if he's being coerced by the government.

It seems out of character for someone who uprooted his life and risked capture to speak against government tyranny to then defend a brutal, unprovoked invasion by a dictator.

He hasn't.

@no1marauder said
He hasn't.

Okay. I was just going by the comments of the posters here.

@vivify said
Okay. I was just going by the comments of the posters here.

The same poster who claimed in this thread that Snowden was "siding with Putin and his mass-murder war" also called me a "Republican" in another.

He's hardly a reliable source of information.

There has been some criticism of Snowden in the Western press for not being front and center in condemning the invasion (besides his pre-war comment I gave on the last page), but his situation is hardly one where that is feasible unless he wants to accept possibly decades in a Russian or US prison. We normally don't require such pointless sacrifices of our fellow human beings (nothing Snowden could say could possibly have an effect on Putin's war).

@sh76 said
I'm pretty small-c conservative when it comes to these things. I don't like the idea of intentionally violating the terms of your employment.

Still, intent matters, and Snowden's intent was to tip off his fellow citizens of what he reasonably perceived to be illegal activities by its government. Thus, in my mind, he's a Patriot, not a traitor.

I'd have no problem with him ...[text shortened]... m.

But yes, I'd pardon him.

Whether he later became a Russian sympathizer is beside the point.

I'm pretty sure Snowden ran to Russia because he felt that that Russia would protect him from being kidnapped or extradited back to the USA. He did not want to live holed up in a foreign embassy for years the way Julian Asange did.

@moonbus said
I'm pretty sure Snowden ran to Russia because he felt that that Russia would protect him from being kidnapped or extradited back to the USA. He did not want to live holed up in a foreign embassy for years the way Julian Asange did.

Snowden did not intend to go to Russia. He was going to go to Ecuador when his passport was revoked. With few options he improvised and went to Russia.

@no1marauder said
The same poster who claimed in this thread that Snowden was "siding with Putin and his mass-murder war" also called me a "Republican" in another.

He's hardly a reliable source of information.

There has been some criticism of Snowden in the Western press for not being front and center in condemning the invasion (besides his pre-war comment I gave on the last page), ...[text shortened]... of our fellow human beings (nothing Snowden could say could possibly have an effect on Putin's war).

There has been some criticism of Snowden in the Western press for not being front and center in condemning the invasion
--------------------------------------

He would be a complete and utter fool to condemn the Russian invasion. Bite the hand that feeds you??
Where do these critics think Snowden is, America?? Criminy

@vivify said
I'm not sure if he's really a Russian sympathizer or if he's being coerced by the government.

It seems out of character for someone who uprooted his life and risked capture to speak against government tyranny to then defend a brutal, unprovoked invasion by a dictator.

You are spreading misinformation like all the others.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/nyt-lies-about-snowden-peddle-evil-leaker-propaganda-stealth-edits-when-caught

@vivify said
Lost in the turmoil of the 2020 pandemic and the U.S. election, debates went around regarding whether Edward Snowden should be pardoned

Amnesty International believes he should be:
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-pardon

Meanwhile the WaPo said he shouldn't:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/08/18/edward-snowden-deserves-trial-not- ...[text shortened]... s of American citizens revealed the NSA spied on Americans, be pardoned? Is he a hero or a traitor?

Over 80% of people want Assange and Snowden pardoned.

https://www.benzinga.com/news/22/12/29952658/edward-snowden-reacts-to-elon-musks-pardon-poll-thats-a-very-big

Now the establishment has to turn people against whistleblowers to bring that number down. I wonder how long it took to get Jack Teixeira to take the bait.

https://rumble.com/v2iblty-washington-post-rats-out-pentagon-docs-leaker-to-the-fbi.html