Snowden

[BlueK]

He's a traitor who needs to be hung from the neck until dead.

T If he wanted to accomplish what he wanted to, there were better ways to accomplish it. T

I want to believe this is true but I don't think it is. I just don't believe the government running a secret program that has since been shown to have been legally overstepping its bounds would have reformed itself without the public knowing anything. No motivation for government to let go of power in that situation.

[Cougarfan87]

But he could have reported it to the IG, written his congressman, etc. There are proper channels.

[BlueK]

But he could have reported it to the IG, written his congressman, etc. There are proper channels.

He wasn't the first one to have questions and problems with what was going on and who did try to use those channels. Nothing happened. It wasn't until after Snowden that Congress knew anything and grilled the NSA about it in their hearings. And the response from the NSA I think was pretty embarrassing as they were later proven not to have been truthful in their answers to Congress. Secret power usually corrupts even if the original intent may not have been so bad.

[SpiffCoug]

He's a traitor who needs to be hung from the neck until dead.

T If he wanted to accomplish what he wanted to, there were better ways to accomplish it. T

I want to believe this is true but I don't think it is. I just don't believe the government running a secret program that has since been shown to have been legally overstepping its bounds would have reformed itself without the public knowing anything. No motivation for government to let go of power in that situation.

I understand that sentiment. Having done some work with the NSA back in the day, I just couldn't see my supervisors and leadership refusing to listen to me if I had the concerns he did. Granted, I didn't work on the projects or programs he did, but from my experience, my leadership took protecting the rights of Americans seriously. I think they 1) would have listened to me, 2) tried to assuage my concerns, 3) gone with me to the next higher level with my concerns if I didn't feel it was resolved.

But he could have reported it to the IG, written his congressman, etc. There are proper channels.

Agreed. There are proper ways he could have gone about it. And guess what, going to the IG or Congress would probably have a better chance of fixing those programs than going to the Russians. Just my guess, but I don't think Putin can affect NSA policy that much.

[jvquarterback]

He's a traitor who needs to be hung from the neck until dead.

T If he wanted to accomplish what he wanted to, there were better ways to accomplish it. T

I want to believe this is true but I don't think it is. I just don't believe the government running a secret program that has since been shown to have been legally overstepping its bounds would have reformed itself without the public knowing anything. No motivation for government to let go of power in that situation.

I understand that sentiment. Having done some work with the NSA back in the day, I just couldn't see my supervisors and leadership refusing to listen to me if I had the concerns he did. Granted, I didn't work on the projects or programs he did, but from my experience, my leadership took protecting the rights of Americans seriously. I think they 1) would have listened to me, 2) tried to assuage my concerns, 3) gone with me to the next higher level with my concerns if I didn't feel it was resolved.

And then 4) nothing would have changed.

The change needed to happen. Snowden picked a way that would lead to that change.

Truth is treason in our society.