Where in the world is Carmen San Diego or Edward Snowden?

[blithe spirit]

So does it matter why he's doing what he's doing or just that he has?  He's certainly created a big stir hasn't he? A big splash in the new and lots of hand wringing in the government and flying around the world looking for a country to take him in.

So what's you take on it now? I was reading this article this morning and thought it made some interesting points about motivation and why if we should care about that based on the info he has or intends to share.

http://theweek.com/bullpen/column/246044/why-edward-snowdens-motive...

Glenn Greenwald at theGuardian, who worked the closest with Snowden over the last few months, argues that Snowden is motivated by outrage over abuses of power; Snowden's detractors argue that he either hates the U.S. or has a narcissistic desire for glory. Either way, Snowden had other channels to choose which was to either contact law enforcement or members of Congress about those abuses, at least before exposing highly classified material to the public.

Why did he not avail himself of those channels? Here, too, actions arguably speak to motivation. Snowden fled to Hong Kong, then Russia, and apparently has started to bargain with Ecuador for asylum — and may need to travel through Cuba and Venezuela. None of these nations are known for a deep commitment to free speech and investigative media. Ecuador, in fact, has prosecuted journalists for reporting on the authoritarian government's activities, and has imposed a panel to regulate media content — presumably in favor of President Rafael Correa.

It's entirely possible that Snowden's information accurately describes abuses of power, even if he's not the free-speech hero or liberty martyr that his supporters claim. Right now, we are left with only fragments of evidence to support Snowden's public conclusions about the NSA and Britain's GCHQ signals-intelligence group. Until we get a robust investigation into the activities of both by the respective legislatures that are supposed to oversee those activities, we can't reach any real conclusions. That's why motive matters in leaks, as well as context.

[crestofwaves]

There is transparency, and then there is classified information. This kid opened a can of worms that we knew were squirming around.  I think he wanted his fifteen minutes more than he wanted to expose the government's actions.  This surveillance goes way way way back. Remember Edgar J. Hoover?

[Wayne Goodwin]

Some time some where the USA will take him out , Either by Drone or Somebody . I really don't see that much wrong wrong was done . Hope he get a country to take him in . May change my mind later as i learn more .....

[Lifesighs]

I think he exposed himself to the danger, he gave out information that was classified just like Cheney. Why isn't Cheney in prison? 

[Shadowman]

I preferred the old days when the government did the work. Now we have privatized everything and have contractors doing the cooking for the military, building the latrines, doing the spy work, etc. Some allege we save a lot of money and would have to bring back the draft without them but who knows what the contractors are really doing? And as Lifesighs asked, why is Cheney not in prison for disclosure of Valaire Plame's identity as a CIA operative? I don't know yet what to say about Snowden. I don't know that he disclosed any legal abuse. He did sign contracts that he broke and his motivation remains to be seen be it money, fame, sense of justice, etc.

[frenchy]

its a real mess for sure .. not knowin the guy i can't say what his real motivations were .. this is a hard one to call for me so i'm still on the fence till i can get more info ..if i can get more info .. truthful info .. this is one of them real double edged swords .. on the one hand we want the cia and the fbi and the division of homeland security and any other agency thats involved in keepin us safe to do just that no matter what they need to do to do it .. i mean lets face it its not like these terrorist are gonna play by the marcus of queensbury rules and not hit us below the belt every chance they get .. so when you get in a street fight the rules are there ain't no rules .. that bein said i'd have to say if these agencies abuse this power then i'd be in snowdens court .. use the wire tappin for the ones that intend to do us harm not for the everyday citizens that are for the most part doin it right other than a few skeletons in their closet such as doin their neighbors wife or the zumba lady ..time will tell if .. they let all the facts out >> and thats the big x factor .. that big if ..at this point i don't have too much faith they will.. 

far as chenney goes they knew it was him .. we knew it was him . he practicly admitted it and then dared us to get him .. and then when the din got to be a dull roar he threw scooter libby under the bus . so scooter got sent to camp cupcake for a few months .. bad scooter .. justice served ..