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Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

theguardian.com

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Re: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

#81

Post by gamerdonkey »

timsally wrote: post #70
ck2 wrote: post #25

Everyone has already forgotten Pfc. Manning rotting away for 35 years. I saw a "free Snowden" sign the other day which I thought was asinine.

> Everyone has already forgotten Pfc. Manning rotting away for 35 years. Please represent the facts accurately. Manning is eligible for release in 7-8 years. I'm willing to make a long bet ( http://longbets.org ) for $300.00 that Manning does not serve 35 years, or "rot away for 35 years" as you put it. Are you up for it?

I hate that this nitpicking has become the standard response whenever someone is facing a prison sentence. It utterly belittles the hardship that people like Pfc. Manning actually face, even if it is for 7-8 years in the end.

Additionally, the parole or probation that she faces even after release are still punishment. It's not as though the troubles are suddenly over.

Treating the issue in this way makes it sound like the judge announced the 35 year sentence, slammed a gavel, then looked over to Manning with a wink and a whimsical smile. That's not what happened. 35 years was the sentence, and that is what you should expect to hear in relation to the case, even if it can be reduced with work on the part of the defendant.

Re: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

#82

Post by kingkawn »

timsally wrote: post #70
ck2 wrote: post #25

Everyone has already forgotten Pfc. Manning rotting away for 35 years. I saw a "free Snowden" sign the other day which I thought was asinine.

> Everyone has already forgotten Pfc. Manning rotting away for 35 years. Please represent the facts accurately. Manning is eligible for release in 7-8 years. I'm willing to make a long bet ( http://longbets.org ) for $300.00 that Manning does not serve 35 years, or "rot away for 35 years" as you put it. Are you up for it?

I would add another $300 to this bet as well in support of your position.

Re: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

#83

Post by etiam »

I was disappointed he didn't win in 2013. If I remember my reading of the rules correctly the members of the Nobel Committee could still have nominated at the point when it was clear what he was revealing and how. Seems like the obvious choice by far for last year.

As a relatively minor side benefit, Snowden winning the Peace Prize would be an elegant rebuke to the rulers in the Sixth Eye of Five Eyes - Nobel's birth country of Sweden. I'd like to see that.

There are many people that would be eminently eligible to share a Nobel Peace Prize with this sort of motivation though. Only two slots left for the sharing... Bill Binney and Tom Drake? John Kiriakou? Who are the other strong contenders?

Re: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

#84

Post by blisterpeanuts »

Hear, hear. I would love to see him get the Nobel. I think history will look kindly at Mr. Snowden, while the NSA's activities will be vilified -- assuming we are allowed to learn about those activities and those of us speaking out (or just texting each other about it) aren't fired, denied tenure, or otherwise removed from public view in the Brave New World of total surveillance.

Re: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

#85

Post by d23 »

plq wrote: post #68
Lazare wrote: post #17

Some may find the list of people who can nominate someone for the Nobel peace prize interesting. From their website: Members of national assemblies and governments of states; Members of international courts; University rectors; professors of social sciences, history, philosophy, law and theology; directors of peace research institutes and foreign policy institutes; Persons who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize;…

> The only real news here is if he wins... Nitpicking a bit maybe, but he obviously can't win without being nominated. So this is still news.

Unless...

> he was probably nominated dozens of times.

Re: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

#86

Post by sigmar »

swalsh wrote: post #42
ck2 wrote: post #25

Everyone has already forgotten Pfc. Manning rotting away for 35 years. I saw a "free Snowden" sign the other day which I thought was asinine.

Manning released a bunch of documents, but how did he change the world?

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

Re: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

#87

Post by duaneb »

ck2 wrote: post #55
duaneb wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure if either of them deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, but I believe Manning's sentence is reasonable. I'd like to shake his hand, buy him a beer, thank him personally, but it's a decision he made that has severe consequences for a reason. And while I don't like Snowden at all, I think his actions are much more justifiable from an ethical point of view. It's not like terrorists were unaware the NSA was spying…

So by your standard, Martin Luther King Jr. should be getting out of prison just about now? Manning was a whistlerblower, just like Snowden, with less power and ability for flight to defend themselves. There was no personal gain ever intended or achieved, yet great personal loss even in the best outcome. They saw something very wrong happening and had little to no way to say "hey there are some incredibly powerful fo…

It's not even clear Manning is a whistleblower—what the hell did he blow a whistle on? It's not like any widespread scandal, corruption, or conspiracy was revealed.

Re: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

#88

Post by duaneb »

7952 wrote: post #63
duaneb wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure if either of them deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, but I believe Manning's sentence is reasonable. I'd like to shake his hand, buy him a beer, thank him personally, but it's a decision he made that has severe consequences for a reason. And while I don't like Snowden at all, I think his actions are much more justifiable from an ethical point of view. It's not like terrorists were unaware the NSA was spying…

There are thousands of people in government and the military who broke the law and defended their actions because they believed them to be morally justifiable. Surely those people should have a similar sentence to Manning?

Yes.

Re: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

#89

Post by blisterpeanuts »

sergiotapia wrote: post #44
praptak wrote: post #13

While I'm fond of any form of flipping the NSA-backing US administration the bird, the Nobel Peace prize has not enough reputation to matter in this context. Al Gore got it for raising awareness of climate change. Obama got that for not being Bush. Even if Snowden gets it, it doesn't really matter.

In all honesty, Obama got it for being the first black president - it was a HUGE deal, remember that.

They should have waited 3-4 years to see if he would actually accomplish something beyond getting elected. I'm not saying he didn't accomplish anything, but traditionally a great honor is bestowed for achievements past, not potential achievements.

Re: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

#90

Post by Lazare »

plq wrote: post #68
Lazare wrote: post #17

Some may find the list of people who can nominate someone for the Nobel peace prize interesting. From their website: Members of national assemblies and governments of states; Members of international courts; University rectors; professors of social sciences, history, philosophy, law and theology; directors of peace research institutes and foreign policy institutes; Persons who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize;…

> The only real news here is if he wins... Nitpicking a bit maybe, but he obviously can't win without being nominated. So this is still news.

Kinda, but I think it was really obvious that he'd be nominated. There's hundreds of nominations every year; Manning has been nominated repeatedly times, Assange has been nominated. Now Snowden's in the news; what were the odds some politician somewhere wouldn't take the opportunity to get some easy headlines by nominating Snowden? I can't imagine him not getting a few nominations. :)
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