Whistleblower Edward Snowden: Hero or Traitor?

[Rick]

Hero or Traitor

• Are you following the story ?
• Do you think he will evade the United States from charges of espionage ?
• Where do you think he will run to.....

Share your thoughts and ideas.


Follow the story here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57591070/ecuador-decision-on-edward-snowden-asylum-could-take-months/

 

[shadow.prx]

I don't view his as any of them. I view him as a guy who had something on his chest that he felt he needed to tell people. I don't know i guess calling him a hero is a little (to me at least) extreme, I have discussed this with a friend and we were talking about what you would have to give up to do something like that. I don't know if i would do it lol. So he's got balls that's for sure.

Lets be honest we all knew that the us government were watching our every move. I guess we just never had proof at least now we won't sound batshit insane when we say our govt's are watching us.

I can see why the US calls him a traitor i mean oversea relations are fucked now. Next time the US needs to borrow money i don't think China is going to lend them a hand any more. Germany & China are demanding answers and people in the UK are too stupid to care / understand. This is going to weaken the US i mean (no offence) but the rest of the world hates America as it is and this is just going to add fuel to that long burning fire. And this could start more attacks on the US and once again the people are going to be affected because their stupid government uses tactics that no one agrees with except them.

On the other hand the US won't stand up for their rights so i'm not really sure if i care much since i don't think anything is going to change. Obama is just a wolf in sheeps clothing but some people are just too blind to see that.

If anything this entire ordeal has shown how little Americans have a say in how their govt is run. Or how little the government actually cares about their own people. Snowden has not put anyone in danger the US government has.

 

[cvrle77]

He is abslolutelly, no doubt, a hero. He knew exactly in what kind of shit he's dragging himself, before he did it, but he was not egocentric, and wasn't thinking only about himself. This is actually, by all standards, a virtue, that few people have.

He's one of the few, that have a spine.

EDIT: latest news, Ecuador denies supplying Snowden with refugee dcuments

 

[Yashraj]

In my opinion he hasn't done anything wrong. He simply informed people about what was going on and that their privacy was being played with.
Though about the programme itself I have both sided views:

The program helps curb terrorist attacks
Monitor criminals/suspects.

Some times such extreme measures are necessary for the overall betterment.


The only issue here is:
Today's terrorists are very well equipped in terms of technology and would be very stupid to use trigger words like, "bomb", "blow up", etc.

 

[To0]

Hasn't done any wrong except follow orders.

Nothing but a tool for the Government.

 

[SJshah]

In my opinion, he is neither a hero or a traitor. I feel so annoyed when people talk about this subject when they have no understanding of the facts of this situation, are not up-to-date with current affairs and don't have knowledge of past events throughout history.


If you look at the Snowden situation, there are two clear sides - hero or traitor. I like to take a step back and look at the bigger picture by not taking a side.

The people who consider him a hero are those who have a concern for privacy, liberty and freedom. They feel that he has blown the whistle on government plans for controlling and monitoring the whole population. The information gathered with these survailence programs helps people in power attack people who want to uncover their plans, helps them extort more money from people by using insider information and knowing where to invest, is a step towards an orwellian state (research gerorge orwell), etc. etc. (you know who you are)

The people who consider him a traitor are those who are concerned with terrorist threats, have a strict view of the law and generally think that the government has their best interests are heart. They feel that the leaked information creates a threat for western countries as terrorists know how to avoid being monitored (not like they used social media or anything anyway), they believe their government does the right thing by protecting them from foreign threats, they believe that the laws are fair and everyone should abide by them no matter what, etc. etc. (you know who you are).


Now, with knowledge that both sides of world war 1 and 2 were controlled and funded by the same people, the truth about 9/11 (specifically, how governments were able to grant laws that invade privacy after the event), the truth about the invasion of Iraq in 2003 (there were no weapons of mass destruction, over a million dead, wheres the justice?), Libya, Lebanon, Iran, the current events in Syria. There is so much that is linked to this and what the real imporant thing we need to know is, what steps will the government take next after this event? Without a clear understanding of the truth about the history, you can't make a clear comment on what is happening with the case of Snowden and why it is happening (in my opinion it's all organised, something like this simply wouldn't happen without being planned). Remember the fairly recent Boston bombings and the Woolwich murder.

How was he able to take such sensitive information without raising a flag within the biggest security organisation in the world?


There are so many questions that people have which can't be answered, and will not be answered. Now, why aren't these concerns being addressed? Think for yourself.


Anyway, I've tried not to preach in this post. I hope that by reading this, you start asking more questions as to what is really going on rather than what you are told in the corporate-controlled government-backed news.


EDIT:
I like RT, they have a different way of conveying the news. They don't take everything as 100% truth, they allow people to make their own decisions with the information they have. Their slogan "question more" is very appropriate.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q-o3N-nJp0[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37Y-lU8pOaE[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xt8XIiB5vg[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McJJJDFZ0G0[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxEWTvX4QGw[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD-ORS1hRHA[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1cmhRenDAg[/ame]

 

[cvrle77]

How was he able to take such sensitive information without raising a flag within the biggest security organisation in the world?

Obviously because he was working there. It's not a valid question, since he did it, and they admitted.

Question is, what American people will do after this? Do they value their freedom at all?

 

[SJshah]

^ You have missed my point entirely.

First, let me clear this up. He was able to get away with this information by copying the data onto thumb-drives. Anyone who has an understanding of how these things work will understand that as soon as any attempt of data transfer, editing, deletion occurs - a flag is raised and it is followed up. Well, at least it should be within the NSA - which many would consider being the most advanced security agency in the world. Would they let an outside contractor have such easy access to this information and wouldn't it raise flags that he left to Hong Kong, of all places. Maybe this story was designed to unfold as it did to create a reaction as it has done, maybe it's something that the government wanted. Look at the two countries Snowden has travelled to so far - China and Russia. Coincidentally, these two countries have their hands tied in extradition processes because they have been unable to legally extradite him.


Next, if you stop and question everything a little more - how will this make any difference? It's been going on for years. People already knew that they were giving all their information to American corporations such as Google, Facebook and the like. People are only talking about whether it's right or wrong for the government to have powers to access this private data, well it doesn't matter - cause they have been survailling you for years and it won't stop. What the real question people should be asking is, what are people going to do about it?

How does this affect the future? What is the future of freedom of speech, internet privacy, laws surrounding data protection, the powers of security agencies, etc. Will the people rise up to fight for their freedom and not be forced into a world of control by the elites?

It's not just about the american people, it concerns the world as a whole. Looking again at one-world government and censorship which they are trying to acheive. You can see it unfolding with the economic crisis across the world, the way governments are starting to push for changes to taxation and more transparency - not transparency of governments - transparency of peoples lives.


EDIT: Just realised that I'm preaching, I'll stop now. You can decide whether you want to learn more about what lies ahead or just want to get caught up with the current buzz trend about 'hero or traitor'.

 

[cvrle77]

You are watching too many hollywood movies.

Told ya, if he did it, it's irrelevant how he did it. If it was false info, no one would pay attention, it would be denied.
We can only speculate if he put a thumb drive up in his ass, or dropped it out of the window, or sent the data to some server outside. Irrelevant. He wasn't isolated in one building, if he could go outside of it, he could smuggle it. It could be in mail, whatever. I could thnk of thousands of ways to get something out of ultrasecure building. Nothing is 100% secured. Irrelevant of how much money you poor in, even if you put 10 agents to watch me 24/7.

When you read Google or FB ToS, nowhere it says that every conversation will be saved on governments computers, and stored indefinitelly. You made a deal with company, not with government. Basically, if they told you right there, that your data won't be served to any third party, then it shouldn't.

People are only talking about whether it's right or wrong for the government to have powers to access this private data, well it doesn't matter

Well, that's logicall falacy. If you were lied for years, does it make it right to be lied even when someone told you the truth? Ofcourse it matters. What you 'knew' were just speculations, no one knew how far that goes, and that question was never raised, else you would see completely different reactions. Like you see them now.

cause they have been survailling you for years and it won't stop. What the real question people should be asking is, what are people going to do about it?

It won't stop, only if people give away their freedom.

It's not just about the american people, it concerns the world as a whole.

Agree, GB is doing it as well, and exchanging info with USA.

Looking again at one-world government and censorship which they are trying to acheive.

SOPA, PIPA, ACTA.... few attempts to legalize illegal things.

 

[SJshah]

You are watching too many hollywood movies.

Lol.

I haven't watched a full hollywood movie in almost a year, you can cross that off.
Stopped watching all that mind-numbing illogical bs.

When you read Google or FB ToS, nowhere it says that every conversation will be saved on governments computers, and stored indefinitelly. You made a deal with company, not with government. Basically, if they told you right there, that your data won't be served to any third party, then it shouldn't.

Lol.

There was a lot of information that shed light on gov survailence of social media and communications for years, you can do your own research. It's not new information just because you have only just realised after the big public debate caused by Snowden and Greenwalt blowing the whistle, it's been known for years that governments were surveiling people but not on what scale and to what extent.

If you were lied for years, does it make it right to be lied even when someone told you the truth? Ofcourse it matters. What you 'knew' were just speculations, no one knew how far that goes, and that question was never raised, else you would see completely different reactions. Like you see them now.

Lol.

Let me explain it in different terms... This is like walking into a building and setting it on fire, then stand in there debating whether or not it's right to set the building on fire. The only thing that matters at this stage is what you are going to do about it, not continuously debate whether it's right or wrong - cause that's irrelevant at this stage.

SOPA, PIPA, ACTA.... few attempts to legalize illegal things.

You forgot CISPA, which was passed a few months ago.