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What happened to the Snowden archive

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  1. firesteelrain · · 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 · · 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 · · 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 · · 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. firesteelrain · · focus · HN ↗
            He isn’t deserving of a pardon or exile by the damage he did. But he could have stayed and faced the consequences if the cause was sincere
            1. MSFT_Edging · · focus · HN ↗
              What exactly was the damage he did?

              He exposed massive unconstitutional dragnets that made the unaccountable agencies look bad.

              If the damage is "makes the US look bad from their illegal surveillance of citizens", then the NSA did that to themselves.

              1. [deleted] · · focus · HN ↗

                [deleted]

            2. nilamo · · focus · HN ↗
              Needs of the state outweigh needs of the people? That's crazy talk.
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