Edward Snowden - Great American Patriot or Gutless Traitor?

[nakatago]

Is cyber and data crime the new equivalent?

Who would get the bigger headline:

- IT drone caught up in espionage allegations

- Person goes out and over a month kills 6 people?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz

[JR8]

I think personality is 3 (or more) dimensional. I also think that some people (as with your link Nak), who one might hold as 'genius', are also bordering on insane (it is argued to be a fine line). And indeed I do think you have to be insane to commit suicide.

It happened to a schoolfriend of mine. He got admitted to Oxbridge to study chemistry at 14, and killed himself three years later. Just a *very* ragamuffin(*1) bohemian but genius person, no 'scene', drugs, nothing, he would be classed as really dorky/square these days (we used to sit in his rickety garage at his palatial house, doing photo development, and chemistry experiments age of 11-13) ... just gone...


- IIRC his father was a Danish physics/chemistry Nobel Laureate...

*1 - Example: from a wealthy family, but his shoes were held together with string tied around the front. Maybe he had a haircut once a year, not to 'be cool' but because the parents just couldn't get it together to do it more often...


- Thank you for reminding me of him.... it's been a long time, and feels like worlds away now.... ...

[PNGMK]

Quote of the year from Putin in reference to endless questions about Snowden (who he now admits is hiding out in the Moscow airport);

"In any case, I'd rather not deal with such questions, because anyway it's like shearing a pig – lots of screams but little wool."

[zzm9980]

"In any case, I'd rather not deal with such questions, because anyway it's like shearing a pig – lots of screams but little wool."

That's up there with Hannie's herpes itching.

[bgd]

You don't need to be a lawyer to see his blunder here: He just admitted premeditation. And my opinion of this is that he lost his "whistle blower" protections.

If this was all part of a grand plan then perhaps he has also planned how he gets away with it. Or perhaps he doesn’t want to. Just wants the limelight for as long as he can keep it running.

Stealing secrets is easy for a lone player with the right access. Getting away with it once the world knows is a little harder.

Iceland or Ecuador. If you are going to be stuck there for life which would you choose? Not sure I could handle the Icelandic winters, but know nothing about Ecuador.

[JR8]

Iceland or Ecuador. If you are going to be stuck there for life which would you choose? Not sure I could handle the Icelandic winters, but know nothing about Ecuador.

Good question! Maybe equally as challenging.

Iceland, 1st world, rich, small, 1/2 the year in almost darkness.

Ecuador, 2nd world, small, banana republic, sunny year-round


'Now we'll ask the audience: You decide!'

[zzm9980]

Iceland or Ecuador. If you are going to be stuck there for life which would you choose? Not sure I could handle the Icelandic winters, but know nothing about Ecuador.

Tough choice, but I'd go with Iceland. Ecuador doesn't seem to have a very stable government, is rather backwards (more so than say Indonesia), and if you're hiding from someone like the US Gov much less safe. Or at least, an order of magnitude easier to make someone disappear from or have an "accident".

Iceland seems like it would have more modern amenities and be safer, but there is the weather (I prefer cold to hot, but am not sure how cold "cold" is in the Iceland context) and Iceland being so small (A few hundred thousand people only?)

I'm not sure what passes for Icelandic native cuisine, but I know South American food is really damn good.

I suppose if nothing I've mentioned so far compels you in either direction, it would come down to which climate you prefer: Hot and tropical, or Iceland.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Iceland has too many active volcanos for me and I don't like the cold.

[zzm9980]

Ecuador, 2nd world, small, banana republic, sunny year-round

I actually thought it was the original Banana Republic (from where the term came), but alas that was Guatemala and Honduras. Still, rather close.

On September 30, 2010, in a police revolt, several police officers were killed after a military intervention in a police hospital. President Rafael Correa alleged that he was taken hostage in the hospital by police officers as part of a series of protests against cuts to the benefits of public service workers that were part of a financial austerity package. What angered police and elements of the army was a law to end the practice of giving medals and bonuses with each promotion. It would also extend from five to seven years the usual period required for promotions. The government called the revolt a coup and declared a one-week state of emergency which put the military in charge of public order and suspended civil liberties. Peru shut its border with Ecuador.

Sounds like Ecuador is one small coupe away from being a major US Ally again. And I'm sure the CIA can get the payments to the right people rather quickly when Snowden arrives.

I'm now completely in the 'Iceland' camp.

[zzm9980]

Iceland has too many active volcanos for me and I don't like the cold.

Ecuador actually has some of the largest active volcanos in the world too.

Ecuador's capital is Quito, which is in the province of Pichincha in the Sierra region. Its largest city is Guayaquil, in the Guayas Province. Cotopaxi, which is just south of Quito, features one of the world's highest active volcanoes.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, but they not under all that damned ice! It's COLD in Iceland.

[bgd]

And if you are traveling on your own then the local woman would be a consideration.

I guess you get a sort of Nordic beauty from Iceland?

What about Ecuador? Who are those tubby little characters with the funny hats?

I’m probably thinking of Peru but don’t want to do a search on Ecuadorian women from the office.

[JR8]

And if you are traveling on your own then the local woman would be a consideration.

I guess you get a sort of Nordic beauty from Iceland?

What about Ecuador? Who are those tubby little characters with the funny hats?

I’m probably thinking of Peru but don’t want to do a search on Ecuadorian women from the office.

Genuine LOL!
well, in my consideration Icelandic girls are crazy, even more so than Japanese.
*But we better leave that one there).

Nordic beauty, oh sure, just Google it.
Haven't been to Ecuador but did spend 3 months in Bolivia. 'Tubby women in hats' ..... genuine lol (it goes a little deeper than that!). The hats shtick, that's up in the high altitude cities.... get down into 'la selba', the jungle, cities like Santa Cruz de la sierra, and there you'll find .... everything... you never even knew existed [rye smile].....

[zzm9980]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013 ... ecame-one/

[quote]In 2009, Ed Snowden said leakers “should be shot.â€Â

[Strong Eagle]

[quote="zzm9980"]http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013 ... ecame-one/

[quote]In 2009, Ed Snowden said leakers “should be shot.â€Â