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Don’t just pardon Edward Snowden; give the man a medal

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Re: Don’t just pardon Edward Snowden; give the man a medal

#41

He already has a medal, very likely. He revealed what everyone interested was already suspecting. The reason Russia shelters him is that he was working for them. It's a reward, and one they have to give out, otherwise no on smart would cooperate with them. If he wasn't a former Russian agent, it'd be better for them letting America make an example of him, because what would make US look worse than jailing for life so…

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. You've given none, only speculation. He claims to be in Russia out of necessity, which is likely; can you show otherwise?

Re: Don’t just pardon Edward Snowden; give the man a medal

#42
post #36
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're confusing the straw man fallacy with an ad hominem attack.

The GP is (humorously) claiming to make almost exclusively non serious arguments on the internet, so it would obviously be inconsistent for him/her to use the correct term. (I thought it was funny, but both I and the GP should probably be voted down to keep whimsical humour like this off HN. The GP will probably argue I should be upvoted for suggesting a downvote of whimsical humor.)

I upvote whimsical humor because it represents the true reality.

Re: Don’t just pardon Edward Snowden; give the man a medal

#43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I condemn Snowden. Prove that I'm intellectually lazy.

How come proven collateral damage such as innocent deaths caused by US military interventionism is widely considered reasonable and acceptable. So, tenuous upside/blatant downside = no outrage. But the unproven collateral damage of Snowden's leaks, which had the giant upside of revealing democracy-chilling surveillance techniques, leads to mass reaction from the government. So, undeniable upside/debatable downside =…

Yeah, Americans sleep when they hear 90% of drone attack deaths are civilians: https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/the-assassination-comp...

But they are wide awake and outraged when Snowden's ostensible act of espionage has caused an enormous amount of public good and technological innovation.

It's not really the American's fault. We hear few of their real voices. It's the media that speaks the loudest.

Re: Don’t just pardon Edward Snowden; give the man a medal

#44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What illegal activities did the NSA perform here? In case you didn't notice, the Snowden leaks revealed filters that removed US citizens' communications, showing that they were complying with US laws that prevent the US military (of which the NSA is part of) from spying on US citizens. Why would the NSA have these compliance filters as part of a classified program if they were allegedly performing illegal activities?

> What illegal activities did the NSA perform here? See the first link in my comment. > In case you didn't notice, the Snowden leaks revealed filters that removed US citizens' communications, showing that they were complying with US laws that prevent the US military (of which the NSA is part of) from spying on US citizens. So what? As one of the 7.1 billion people who are not US citizens, I object to the notion that…

> As surprising as this may sound, those of us born in other countries have the same rights too, and deserve the same protections.

Citizens of other countries in fact don't have the same rights and protections against the NSA as citizens. It's why the NSA exists.

Re: Don’t just pardon Edward Snowden; give the man a medal

#45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>don't make an article about how the opposing stance is only held by the weak minded. What if you really think that's the case? Screw it, I'll say it. I think anyone who condemns Snowden is intellectually lazy or has vested interests in NSA surveillance. I have yet to see a single cogent rebuttal of Snowden's moral case.

I condemn Snowden. Prove that I'm intellectually lazy.

>I condemn Snowden. Prove that I'm intellectually lazy.

You haven't even bothered to provide an argument to justify your condemnation. Case closed.

Re: Don’t just pardon Edward Snowden; give the man a medal

#46

He already has a medal, very likely. He revealed what everyone interested was already suspecting. The reason Russia shelters him is that he was working for them. It's a reward, and one they have to give out, otherwise no on smart would cooperate with them. If he wasn't a former Russian agent, it'd be better for them letting America make an example of him, because what would make US look worse than jailing for life so…

Come on, you're acting like he celebrated his birthday at the Russian consulate in Hong Kong and then stayed there for a couple of days until the Russians secretly transported him to the airport for his flight to Russia. Oh, wait, that is what happened.

Putin was behind this, I knew it!

Re: Don’t just pardon Edward Snowden; give the man a medal

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>don't make an article about how the opposing stance is only held by the weak minded. What if you really think that's the case? Screw it, I'll say it. I think anyone who condemns Snowden is intellectually lazy or has vested interests in NSA surveillance. I have yet to see a single cogent rebuttal of Snowden's moral case.

I condemn Snowden. Prove that I'm intellectually lazy.

You didn't bother with an actual argument and instead tried to force others to do the cognitive work to prove you wrong. This is intellectually lazy.

Re: Don’t just pardon Edward Snowden; give the man a medal

#49

He already has a medal, very likely. He revealed what everyone interested was already suspecting. The reason Russia shelters him is that he was working for them. It's a reward, and one they have to give out, otherwise no on smart would cooperate with them. If he wasn't a former Russian agent, it'd be better for them letting America make an example of him, because what would make US look worse than jailing for life so…

>He revealed what everyone interested was already suspecting. The reason Russia shelters him is that he was working for them

Yeah, Russia (e.g. not USSR, but the present second-tier world player) has so many spies in the US, including in major government agencies, and people affecting internal politics and decision making so much.

/s

It's time people understand that not all nations are alike or of the same power -- there is a single global bully who gets to do whatever they like and influence whatever it wants mostly unchecked and mostly unchallenged. And it's neither Russia, nor China. China has meddle somewhat in Asia, but it hasn't been in war or toppling governments and setting up Banana Republics at Europe or Latin America or Africa. Others had.

The only enemy to this single power, if it can even be called that, since unlike 99.9% of actual enemies in actual history it hasn't done to it an iota of damage statistically speaking, is the fanatic islamists -- random people from 20+ countries, including goat herders, conspiring, without even a single nation state daring to openly support them. In fact, their biggest supporter, state wise, is also in bed with the single power. Go figure.

Re: Don’t just pardon Edward Snowden; give the man a medal

#50

He already has a medal, very likely. He revealed what everyone interested was already suspecting. The reason Russia shelters him is that he was working for them. It's a reward, and one they have to give out, otherwise no on smart would cooperate with them. If he wasn't a former Russian agent, it'd be better for them letting America make an example of him, because what would make US look worse than jailing for life so…

Come on, you're acting like he celebrated his birthday at the Russian consulate in Hong Kong and then stayed there for a couple of days until the Russians secretly transported him to the airport for his flight to Russia. Oh, wait, that is what happened.

LOL, because where else would he go? Some western country in bed with the US, or some third world place where people mysteriously "disappear" and anything can happen?
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