NYCmetsfan
Banned
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/03/us-russia-usa-snowden-idUSKBN0LZ1U020150303
I'd want to get out of Russia too
I'd want to get out of Russia too
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Fugitive ex-U.S. spy Snowden in talks on returning home: lawyer
- Thread starter NYCmetsfan
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Admiral Woofington
Member
he's only Putin it out there that he wants to come back.
JackLongRod
Banned
Fair trail ?
you sir snowden are a fucking coward traitor and deserve nothing.
you sir snowden are a fucking coward traitor and deserve nothing.
NYCmetsfan
Banned
Even if you think that, I'm pretty sure he deserves a fair trial. We all do.
Zero Hero
Member
In your world why even bother having trials if guilty people can skip the process.
The hero you need but don't deserve.
SliceSabre
Banned
I just want to see him given a fair trial. I think he broke the law and deserves punishment, but if he goes to trial and gets off so be it.
IISANDERII
Member
You are misinformed.
Extra Sauce
Member
Apparently he doesn't even deserve proper spelling.
GregLombardi
Member
Not really. Show me proof that he was exposing things that are legal under our constitution.
He broke the law to expose wrongdoing on an enormous and terrifying scale. He should be given a medal.
Freedom = $1.05
Banned
Think he deserves a fair trial. Whether he'll get one or not is another story.
Admiral Woofington
Member
SliceSabre
Banned
That doesn't absolve him of his crimes. He should stand trial.
Lovely Salsa
Banned
Did Snowden mention anything about aliens?
Do you really have no sense of the bigger picture here?
How can he possibly have a fair trial when security services are routinely monitoring privileged conversations between lawyers and their clients?
Orbis Tabula
Member
nvm
Frankfurter
Member
I really don't see how he could ever return home and actually get a fair trial. After all is said and done most of the guys that did what he exposed are still in power.
Who absolved the US government of their crimes? We just gonna conveniently forget this?
GillianSeed79
Member
This. In this case, I believe the breaking of the law was justified to expose a greater evil. That being said, there is no way the dude is going to get a fair trial if he comes back. The feds are going to do everything they can to throw him in solitary confinement for the rest of his life in a supermax federal prison. He should just write a book and move some place nice in South America or Scandanavia or something.
SliceSabre
Banned
I fully realize that it'll be hard for him to get a fair trial, but that has never been a reasoning for someone to get away with not standing trial.
dave is ok
aztek is ok
He can't come home and he can't have a fair trial. The Espionage Act makes a fair trial literally impossible for him.
Whistleblowing is a crime?
Melon Husk
Member
Anyone prosecuted over anything deserve a fair and public trial. Even terrorists. (Snowden is not a terrorist.
)
So a hunting trail...?
[definition may vary]
So a hunting trail...?
And shouldn't it be?!
This robotic 'LAW MUST BE UPHELD' thinking completely breaks down when it is being applied by a government that proudly flouts its own rules against violating our rights. It's terrifying to see this kind of talk so prevalent as we march quietly towards a state of total surveillance.
iNvid02
Member
this patriot needs a time out bar
SliceSabre
Banned
You realize everything he revealed wasn't just the US is listening to your phone calls and e-mails? He also revealed stuff like the US is saying mean things about other world leaders or our spies are spying on another countries spies.
What is gained from that? Isn't that why we have spies? I think most Americans would be angry if Snowden had revealed something like US spies aren't actually spying on other countries. Then what the hell do we have an intel network for?
He's never coming home. Because if he does, he's going away for a very very long time fair trial or not after exposing not only government data collection on its own citizens, but foreign high-value/gov't targets as well. And you cannot tell me he didn't trade even more damaging info for his asylum in Russia. If he comes home, his life is over.
Face it Tiger..
Banned
Will FISA stand trial as well?
PhoenixDark
Banned
He won't get a fair trial. He has to know that. I understand wanting to get out of Russia though.
GillianSeed79
Member
No one in the NSA, the government or past two presidential administrations has stood trial for the crimes of the intelligence community. Hell this isn't even the first time they've committed crimes and gotten away with it. We literally tortured people, violated international law and committed war crimes and so far no one in government has been held accountable. Why should Snowden be held accountable for exposing the crimes of the government against its own people?
SliceSabre
Banned
At what point do we saying breaking the law to prove the government did something wrong is ok?
If you're trying to prove the US government did something wrong and murder 3 people along the way is that ok because you proved government wrong doing? What he did is a very serious crime and he must stand trial.
EnlightenedMint
Member
Unless an administration comes in and reforms the espionage act I don't see him coming back anytime soon.
NYCmetsfan
Banned
What makes anyone think he wont get a fair trial. What are you basing that off of. Will he have a defense, be judged by a jury of his peers? Have constitutional protections on illegally seized evidence.
I mean they can literally play his public comments and convict him.
Why would it? Its a legal court established by congress
I mean they can literally play his public comments and convict him.
Why would it? Its a legal court established by congress
They are listening to our calls and looking at our emails without legitimate warrants. That is kosher with the PATRIOT Act, but a violation of the Fourth Amendment. What don't you get?
DOBERMAN INC
Member
I'm not American but I think Snowden is a hero for what he did.
At the point that the wrongdoing that has been exposed is an enormous and ongoing threat to democracy worldwide.
By your logic it was right that Nelson Mandela be locked up.
The Purple Pill
Member
Snowden deserves a medal of honour, since he took the security and rights of the people above the insane bureaucrats.
I lose faith in humanity for each time a whistle blower gets sentenced as traitor, when they are exposing evil doings done against innocents.
He's a hero.
I lose faith in humanity for each time a whistle blower gets sentenced as traitor, when they are exposing evil doings done against innocents.
He's a hero.
The same thing to be gained from whistleblowing in literally every other field of work: putting a spotlight on illegal activity.
Wasn't the information released by Snowden thoroughly vetted to ensure that no one was actually put in harm's way by those secrets coming to light? He wasn't blowing anyone's cover; no one was killed because of the NSA leaks. The only thing hurt was a lot of government egos.
If you maintain that the NSA's overreach of spying and communications monitoring was...well, an overreach, then can how one expect to report that behavior for the sake of reforming it when their employers are the ones perpetrating the behavior in the first place? This is the whole point of whistleblowing, and it's why federal law protects whistleblowers from retaliation in every other industry.
If the government is doing something wrong, and it's a crime to expose said wrongdoing, then you're effectively saying the government should allowed to keep doing that wrong thing until if and when they become bored with it and stop of their own accord.
I don't think he'd be held accountable for releasing the info about any unconstitutional spying on Americans, it's the release of information about spy activity abroad and on non-citizens--the constitutional spying, so to speak-- that he'd be in trouble for I imagine.
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