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Is Snowden guilty of espionage? - Page 5

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Olli
Profile Blog Joined February 2012
Austria24422 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-06-25 19:38:31
June 25 2013 19:38 GMT
#81
I find it hilarious and incredibly sad at the same time that revealing a huge espionage system counts as espionage and gets you punished.
Administrator"Declaring anything a disaster because aLive popped up out of nowhere is just downright silly."
Meerel
Profile Joined March 2012
Germany713 Posts
June 25 2013 19:40 GMT
#82
is this thread for realz?

User was warned for this post
SDMF
BioNova
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
United States598 Posts
June 25 2013 19:41 GMT
#83
On June 26 2013 04:13 farvacola wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 26 2013 04:05 radiatoren wrote:
On June 26 2013 03:53 farvacola wrote:
On June 26 2013 03:44 GreyKnight wrote:
Yes, but prosecuting him is a waste of time. He did not say anything anyone did not already know. Hes just baiting the feds while the rest of the world watches in glee at this PR battle.

Well that depends on the message one wants to send. If you are looking to further reinforce the notion that what Snowden did is unacceptable, prosecuting him makes a lot of sense.

What he did was whistleblowing. "not for hire espionage" or "conciousness espionage". Reinforcing a notion of whistlebloweing being unacceptable is problematic since the whole foundation of whistleblowing is a sign of something being seen as a huge problem that the person wants the public to be aware of.

Heck. I'm even referring to Obamas arguments before he became president here.

It doesn't really matter what Obama himself has argued, there is information pertinent to national security that government officials have an interest in keeping out of the public eye, and an according interest in discouraging its dissemination by government employees. Whether or not the entirety of the information released by Snowden falls under "whistleblower" protection is the crux of the debate, and I'm not really sure myself. On one hand, I think a huge number of people grossly overestimate the granularity of the information gathered by the NSA's programs; because of proportionality, I think the relative threat of the government turning into some Orwellian state very low. On the other, the government has done a poor job showing due diligence in oversight of the program, and they need to prove it well regulated or scrap it at once.


I would say Obama's words and actions on these matters are pertinent. If this is the guy we can trust, then we have a problem. The elected officials do have an interest in this case, and it just so happens to clash with their responsibilities and oaths.

Still waiting to hear more on the NSA documentation referring to 80 page FISA decision that declared what was occurring was illegal. I have not seen it but as I understand the NSA was trying to find workarounds to get in compliance(aka breaking the law) The real irony probably comes during Snowden's theoretical trail when he could not use it as evidence that he was indeed revealing criminality rather the engaging in nefarious behavior for spite. It's classified. Secret decisions, secret interpretations.

Wouldn't have been much of a secret to Snowden. The media behavior on this matter has flatly been some Church committee material.
I used to like trumpets, now I prefer pause. "Don't move a muscle JP!"
sekritzzz
Profile Joined December 2010
1515 Posts
June 25 2013 19:45 GMT
#84
Its sad the state of affairs the world is in when people like edward snowden is considered a traitor. The US govt is delusional. Massive spying on the entire globe? Assassinations on the entire globe at free will? prosecution of journalists and whistle-blowers?

The only people who are guilty of crimes on humanity is the US govt and their cronies around the world.
Daray
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
6006 Posts
June 25 2013 19:51 GMT
#85
On June 26 2013 03:56 omgimonfire15 wrote:
Honest question: Why does this matter so much? I can see how everyone is scared its going to turn into 1984 but do you honestly think that's gonna happen with today's society and the level of globalized connectedness?


Yes. What do you think the people or public or whatever you want to call them will do you? I'm guessing nothing will be done about this and it will be forgotten (no one will be facing jail time except Snowden). The masses have power but it doesn't matter because people are indifferent until it directly affects their everyday lives.

Also, why are people so worried about what the government knows? Do you have something to hide?


aksfjh
Profile Joined November 2010
United States4853 Posts
June 25 2013 19:51 GMT
#86
As long as the legality of the NSA's program is held up, Snowden committed espionage. It's the same thing with whistleblowing and NDAs. If they're not doing anything illegal and you reveal secrets, it's a breach of contract. In Snowden's case, that breach can be approached in Federal criminal courts instead of civil courts.
Thieving Magpie
Profile Blog Joined December 2012
United States6752 Posts
June 25 2013 19:57 GMT
#87
On June 26 2013 04:45 sekritzzz wrote:
Its sad the state of affairs the world is in when people like edward snowden is considered a traitor. The US govt is delusional. Massive spying on the entire globe? Assassinations on the entire globe at free will? prosecution of journalists and whistle-blowers?

The only people who are guilty of crimes on humanity is the US govt and their cronies around the world.


Us disagreeing with someone does not make what they do illegal.

Snowden did technically break the law. Sure, the law he broke is the one that we see good guys do in movies just as they reveal the corruption of _______ evil government/corporation; but in the end he did break it and hence has to be treated like any other breaker of the law.

And what exactly did he reveal? That the Patriot Act passed 12 years ago is doing exactly what it said it would do...

I mean, I feel for the guy, and I understand our need to root for the TV hero, how can we not? We're constantly told that those movies are nothing but fantasy and now we have our own real life spy hero. It would be strange for us not to want to root for him.

But telling the american people that the government is doing what we asked them to do 12 years ago is not exactly game changing stuff.

My heart wants to root for the guy, but what are we really rooting for?
Hark, what baseball through yonder window breaks?
Aerisky
Profile Blog Joined May 2012
United States12129 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-06-25 19:58:32
June 25 2013 19:58 GMT
#88
I think that Snowden, acting post-conventionally, was reasonable in his action morally speaking--in that it adhered to his own moral fiber and what have you. Pragmatically, it was stupid in that now he's kind of screwed and he's given ammunition to other nations to lambaste the states, even though I'm sure most nations have some process akin to this in place.
Jim while Johnny had had had had had had had; had had had had the better effect on the teacher.
TrollPolice
Profile Joined May 2013
44 Posts
June 25 2013 19:58 GMT
#89
Snowden should be given an award of some of the highest honor of the land and forever be known as one of the greatest human beings to ever walk the planet.
Klondikebar
Profile Joined October 2011
United States2227 Posts
June 25 2013 20:00 GMT
#90
On June 26 2013 04:51 Daray wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 26 2013 03:56 omgimonfire15 wrote:
Honest question: Why does this matter so much? I can see how everyone is scared its going to turn into 1984 but do you honestly think that's gonna happen with today's society and the level of globalized connectedness?


Yes. What do you think the people or public or whatever you want to call them will do you? I'm guessing nothing will be done about this and it will be forgotten (no one will be facing jail time except Snowden). The masses have power but it doesn't matter because people are indifferent until it directly affects their everyday lives.

Show nested quote +
Also, why are people so worried about what the government knows? Do you have something to hide?




There's a reason we don't build our toilets in the living room. There's nothing wrong with taking a shit, but that doesn't mean I wanna do it with an audience.
#2throwed
ETisME
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
12729 Posts
June 25 2013 20:02 GMT
#91
the US government wants to label him as a traitor or a person with questionable moral at the very least, they are demanding HK to pass Snowden over so that he can be sent to trail.
Snowden left HK since the government did not have enough time to complete the paperwork to retain him in Hong Kong.
其疾如风,其徐如林,侵掠如火,不动如山,难知如阴,动如雷震。
Roonweld
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
United States144 Posts
June 25 2013 20:05 GMT
#92
He isn't guilty of espionage. He hasn't told an enemy of the state secrets. He told the American people what was being done to them...if he's charged with espionage and sentenced, that means we are the enemy here to the US government.
Twitter @RoonSC
Cirqueenflex
Profile Joined October 2010
499 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-06-25 20:06:43
June 25 2013 20:05 GMT
#93
oh come on, don't be that ignorant. He did the wrong thing for the right reasons. That does not absolve him from the law, which is in place to protect the country. He has to be punished, even if it is just for the sake of other information that does need to stay hidden (military emergency/strategic plans, weak points in important infrastructure, undercover agents that get killed for being revealed etc).

In my opinion the right thing would probably have been to go to the authorities (any boss of his or a higher-up politician who does have part in power over deciding this kind of stuff), and only go to the public if all those efforts bear no fruit as a last resort. It would have done way less collateral (political) damage. Would it be unfair if this would never have been made public? Maybe. But it is just as unfair to others the way this was made public, and way more people had to suffer for this.
He deserves to be punished.

On June 26 2013 05:05 Roonweld wrote:
He isn't guilty of espionage. He hasn't told an enemy of the state secrets. He told the American people what was being done to them...if he's charged with espionage and sentenced, that means we are the enemy here to the US government.

the same thing has been said here about half a dozend times at least (just in this thread). Kinda weird to see all the sheeps follow the meta game blindly.
Give a man a fire, you keep him warm for a night. Set a man on fire, and you keep him warm for the rest of his life.
CruiseR
Profile Joined November 2004
Poland4014 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-06-25 20:06:45
June 25 2013 20:06 GMT
#94
A poll would be useful. I do not have time to read through all posts, but I am insterested what US citizens think about Snowden.
Fruscainte
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
4596 Posts
June 25 2013 20:10 GMT
#95
I mean of course he's "guilty" in the legalistic sense, but he's honestly what this country needed.

Not all crime is inherently evil, I think is fair to say. What Snowden did was illegal, but probably the most morally correct thing anyone has done for this country in the past 50 years.
dUTtrOACh
Profile Joined December 2010
Canada2339 Posts
June 25 2013 20:13 GMT
#96
Sounds like Snowden committed a data crime. Information theft of some sort. If he was an employee of any other corporation and stole or publicized company secrets intending to make them public knowledge it wouldn't be an act of espionage or treason.

The question is whether or not Snowden's crime compromised national security and endangered lives. If the answer is "Some skeletons fell out of our closet but nobody was hurt." then I don't think they can consider his crime to be espionage and have it stick.
twitch.tv/duttroach
XCetron
Profile Joined November 2006
5226 Posts
June 25 2013 20:15 GMT
#97
On June 26 2013 05:10 Fruscainte wrote:
I mean of course he's "guilty" in the legalistic sense, but he's honestly what this country needed.

Not all crime is inherently evil, I think is fair to say. What Snowden did was illegal, but probably the most morally correct thing anyone has done for this country in the past 50 years.


Really? Most morally correct anyone has done, for this country (presumably United States of America),in the past 50 years (1963-2013)?
eNbee
Profile Joined July 2010
Belgium487 Posts
June 25 2013 20:15 GMT
#98
On June 26 2013 03:16 TriO wrote:
Yes, hes guilty of espionage and therefore a traitor. When we work for any type federal jobs from organization, institution, and state we are required to sign and obey this loyalty oath. This oath requires us to support and defend the constitution against all enemies of the United States of America. By giving out information he broke this oath and therefore declared enemy of the state by doing so. He knew by releasing this information he would be an enemy/traitor to the U.S.


http://twothirds.us/the-oaths-of-office/



As you said he swore an oath to protect the constitution. I believe, and he believes, he was doing exactly that. Those NSA practices are a massive breach of the 4th amendment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution


Snowden knew what was going to happen when he released all of this, he gave up a very well paying job, basically his entire life when he released all of this. He's a hero and a patriot, I know these terms get overused a lot, but this time it's literally the case.


All that said though, more on topic, he'll probably be found guilty of espionage under that archaic piece of legislation called the espionage act, the same piece of legislation they used in WW2 to create those internment camps for Japanese citizens.
hmmmm
eNbee
Profile Joined July 2010
Belgium487 Posts
June 25 2013 20:17 GMT
#99
On June 26 2013 05:15 XCetron wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 26 2013 05:10 Fruscainte wrote:
I mean of course he's "guilty" in the legalistic sense, but he's honestly what this country needed.

Not all crime is inherently evil, I think is fair to say. What Snowden did was illegal, but probably the most morally correct thing anyone has done for this country in the past 50 years.


Really? Most morally correct anyone has done, for this country (presumably United States of America),in the past 50 years (1963-2013)?


Don't be such a pedant, he's not far from the truth. He definitely took the moral high-ground on this one. He could've easily carried on raking in 200k a year until he felt like retiring. Instead he did the right thing, which not many people would've done.
hmmmm
darthfoley
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
United States8004 Posts
June 25 2013 20:23 GMT
#100
On June 26 2013 05:15 XCetron wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 26 2013 05:10 Fruscainte wrote:
I mean of course he's "guilty" in the legalistic sense, but he's honestly what this country needed.

Not all crime is inherently evil, I think is fair to say. What Snowden did was illegal, but probably the most morally correct thing anyone has done for this country in the past 50 years.


Really? Most morally correct anyone has done, for this country (presumably United States of America),in the past 50 years (1963-2013)?


Lol, I would perhaps consider leaking Watergate as more important. . . .. . .....
watch the wall collide with my fist, mostly over problems that i know i should fix
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