Thread

1. firesteelrain · 1789953037 · focus · HN ↗

   People became ambivalent. Snowden fled eventually to Russia. Some people viewed him less relevant over time as the archive merely trickled out. When he fled to Russia, he looked less like a martyr and more like a national security information leaker or spy like Robert

   A lot of what sounded extraordinary in 2013 is now baked into everyday discussion like metadata and mass surveillance. He is also available less for interviews because he is in Russia.

   Basically bigger fish to fry

   1. unsungNovelty · 1789958514 · focus · HN ↗

      He didn't "flee" to Russia. His passport was renounced/revoked/disabled while he was on his way to the original destination. He got stuck in the Russian airport for a freaking long time in a small room while the govt made sure he can't go anywhere else. Good Lord, fled to Russia it seems.

      1. firesteelrain · 1789958607 · focus · HN ↗

         He could have returned to the US. He chose to exile in Russia. He was already fleeing. I posted a bunch about it below

         1. maxbond · 1789963990 · focus · HN ↗

            If we're going to judge Snowden by the standard that he could've rectified his situation through a radical act of self sacrifice, then every US president has had the opportunity to pardon him and has failed to do so. It's an equally sensible proposition. It's plain to see that no US president would entertain the notion. Similarly, it's not reasonable to expect someone to return from exile without being offered some kind of clemency.

            1. lern_too_spel · 1789964952 · focus · HN ↗

               No radical act of self sacrifice would have been necessary had he only leaked illegal or possibly illegal programs. Instead, he went to Hong Kong and leaked a list of compromised Chinese networks and systems in hopes of getting asylum from China.

               1. maxbond · 1789965763 · focus · HN ↗

                  That's a very optimistic view of the US justice system's treatment of whistleblowers (surely they would contend that all of their programs were legal), but now his being granted asylum by Russia isn't evidence but a new incongruous fact we need to explain since the hypothesis is now apparently that he is a Chinese turncoat. So I don't see how this helps the case.

                  1. mannanj · 1789966657 · focus · HN ↗

                     [dead]

                     1. tosapple · 1789975982 · focus · HN ↗

                        i just had that conversation about 'industrial' effort and 'actors', we have recent examples of monetary corruption in the sacklers.
                     2. MSFT_Edging · 1789993609 · focus · HN ↗

                        For some reason people think psychological operations are some kind of urban legend.

                        1. mannanj · 1790439346 · focus · HN ↗

                           and for some reason, some of those people jump on these posts when you name that our hacker news-emperor-forum has no clothes.
                     3. linkregister · 1790015397 · focus · HN ↗

                        If a commenter posts a thing that I disagree with, then their motives are bad. Whereas all opinions of mine are pure and in good faith.

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