Anthonyn Cordesman on Edward Snowden

He's small potatoes. I can think of lots of people who've committed greater crimes and enjoy a celebrity status.

All the best,
Nonoise

Seems as if our 'hero' is having trouble finding a rock to ooze under.

And for all you shallow thinkers, remember this, people will die as a result of what he did.

Cheers

Anthony Cordesman is a fine audio reviewer and a knowlegable foreign policy expert. Snowden has set us back so badly with his disclosures that it cannot be calculated. I consider myself to be a fairly liberal thinker and one who treasures the right of privacy that our justices have found in the Constitution. But I, like many, have no problem with our government obtaining massive amounts of meta data so that, when needed, it can be accessed to connect the dots of terrorist aspirants. I mean, isn't the defense of the country through use of available digital data a no brainer in modern society?
Snowden is a grandstanding joker who should be brought to justice and jailed.

Do you people that support the government illegally mining your private conversations and information remember J Edgar Hoover? McCarthy? What governments have done under the paradigm of "the greater good" has been pretty scary in the past.
Jingoism is a slippery slope.

Regardless of the motives or character of Snowden he has done the public a great service. In order for the nation to function as a democracy the citizenship must be informed of what the government and other power centers are doing.

Traditionally law enforcement would only investigate someone if there was reasonable suspicion or knowledge that a person was engaged in illegal activity. That is no longer the case and it represents a fundamental change in law enforcement strategy. Now simply having your picture taken for a state issued drivers license puts you into a facial recognition searchable database used by law enforcement for whatever purpose they deem appropriate.

Technology and tactics have made it easier for law enforcement to detect criminal activity and that may well further the common defence and promote the general welfare, but in that same sentence the Constitution also
specifies that the role of government is to secure liberty to ourselves and our offspring. If you take away liberty are you really promoting the general welfare? It's a question well worth a public discussion.

Remember, a policeman's job is only easy in a police state.