Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The fact that the government pursued Snowden They had to. He broke the law. He would have had the chance to go to trial and defend himself and seek whistleblower protection status. Given the politically charged nature and public opinion at the time, he might have had a pretty fair shake and could have been living comfortably in the US working for the ACLU or something. Instead he plotted an escape to an openly host…
> He would have had the chance to go to trial and defend himself and seek whistleblower protection status... In what universe would the US Gov't not just ship him off to some blacksite on a remote island somewhere and disappear him forever?
For all conspiracy theorists like to talk about it, there is remarkably little disappearing going on in the US, even when intelligence agencies are involved.