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For those of you who don't know, Edward Snowden is a 30 year old former NSA employee who recently leaked large amounts of classified information which basically confirmed Americans' worst fears. Basically, the leaked info proves that the 4th Amendment (right to freedom from surveillance or property searches w/o warrant) has been completely and utterly demolished, as the NSA has been recording and sifting through every single text message, phone call, e-mail, forum/blog post/comment, etc. from every American citizen (not just those on our own soil) for nearly the past 10 years.

Edward Snowden's reputation is in a state of limbo at this point in time. Nobody really knows whether to brand him a hero or a traitor for leaking this information. He is known to have sworn an oath of office at one point (I forget for what position) swearing to defend and protect the Constitution of The United States Of America against all threats, both foreign and domestic. Once you have sworn that oath, it can never be invalidated. His actions can be seen as upholding that oath for the benefit of the American people. On the other hand, leaking classified government information has the potential to cause severe instability and can be very for both the leaker and the nation itself.

Thomas Jefferson wrote:They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

What are you guys' thoughts on the matter?

EDIT: This video sums it up well.

old news is pretty old by the way

I think I agree with Tiel here.

See, the Russians gave him a temporary shelter and I doubt the FSB did it out of their kind heart, it doesn't matter what he released that one is meaningless, what is meaningful is what he sold to the Russians to live happily for the rest of his life and secure himself a free escape route (and he carried out a whole computer full of secret data so you get how much he sold ...). Even if he didn't plan on it eventually he sold his country out, there is one definition for it no matter what else he did. And really how releasing that info makes him a hero ? He didn't save any lives, just fuelled your curiosity with something mostly pointless, really it won't stop any governmental programs and overall just a big media fuss. He is definitely not a hero if not worse.

Depends, if what the government is doing is actually wrong, then people should probably know, but they should also know whether it is the best option, and whether it is to prevent worse. I'm not american so I've never heard of this case, though you Americans are very famous elsewhere for disliking your own government no matter what.

Odd I hear of all those "American" stuff that happens and generally what happens around the world and you almost never hear of em O.o.

the alternative would've been for him to just keep his trap shut and let the government trample all over the rights it's supposed to protect.

I sorta agree with what he did, I think what the NSA were doing was completely unethical, and a blatant invasion of privacy.

Well if he did it just to save the day, why did he smuggle a computer full of secret data ?

Iv121 wrote:Well if he did it just to save the day, why did he smuggle a computer full of secret data ?

I didn't say his motives were necessarily good, just that I agreed with his decision to release that information. And in any case, the info would have definitely helped to secure safe passage; as if he returns to America he will be put in prison.

Hehe not only safe passage, but also a safe retirement on a sandy beach with no worries whatsoever ... As I said I can't say he is a hero , he is not a fireman and didn't help anyone, and I know that selling your country is the definition of treason so there is really no other vote choice for me...

I´ve heard of it, it´s one of the top-3 topics in Austrian newspapers (even the latest weekend special of the news was centered about the NSA affair).
it actually does matter, since the EU is going to use that as pressure on the recently started negotiations about a Free trade zone.
Also, he won´t be able to stay in russia, they offered him to stay IF HE WAS TO STOP RELEASING MORE INFORMATION which he refused.
As far as I know, he´s propably still stuck at the Moscow airport, though noone has ever seen him since he arrived there.

he didn't really sell his country, he just sold the governments secrets; a government which will be in power for a tiny amount of time; may well be overthrown at some point. And a government that is trying to prosecute him for releasing info that I think should have been public knowledge anyway. But that's just my opinion

While according to US law he is classified as a traitor, but like Targareyan said, "And a government that is trying to prosecute him for releasing information that I think should have been public knowledge," - which I may say I do agree with - there was no other positive option available other than "Hero" so I could only 'correctly' choose "Both".
Tabun, kare wa Nihon o tameshite mite kudasai?

Well, by the definition of 'traitor', he is one.
But he did risk his life/freedom/savety in order to educate the world about the actions of the NSA.
I chose 'both' for the same reason as Vinyl.