Holds governments accountable? Or hostage?

Not in favor but when you have corruption this deep how else do you bring this out.

It's good and bad. Like I hated how Snowden pretty much set back American cyber security 25 years. That dude is a traitor to this country. By that same token, Hillary is also a traitor to the United States and exposing her is probably a good thing.

when the gov (read oligarchy) holds the citizens hostage it seems pretty reasonable

I have mixed feelings as well.. but Hillary coulda prevented this.. cracks me up when the Hillary camp complains about all this illegal activity is being discovered thru illegal means... 😟

It has filled the role that the media used to fill. It's necessary. And in that sense, good.

For those who complain with Snowden...corruption doesn't know party. It is what it is. You don't get to choose what is lawless. The only caveat is that we are dependent on what Wikileaks determines is to be published--and we could be missing out on distilling that information ourselves. Which is why we need more of these types of agents like Wikileaks.

Jack

As someone who spent a good deal of time responsible for safeguarding TS SCI secrets, I'm very disturbed and angry at Wikileaks, and Snowden, especially. I, too, have mixed feeling to some extent....in that I acknowledge that in time, we will probably have been fortunate that some of the Snowden stuff was made public...much as that admission pains me. Governments will all have secrets. People, even public people will have private stuff that should remain private. It is up to us to put leaders in place that we can trust with that responsibility. (That isn't a not-so-subtle slam on HRC....I wasn't even thinking about her when I made this poll.) I just think that despite the fact that Wikileaks will publicize some stuff that probably should be public -- I cannot approve of them. At all.

i think we need a better definition of terms here

correct me if im wrong, but snowden and wikileaks are different things.

just as hilary's exploits are different yet

wikileaks may be the commonly used vessel but the acts themselves are mutually exclusive

Wikileaks seems to have an agenda which seems to have made them less trustworthy in what they release.
Anyone who thinks Snowden is not a traitor may have to explain to us where that line is crossed.

Like the ACLU, you don't always agree with what they say and do, but you know they come with freedom.

---

FWIW, what sort of idiot puts anything they want kept secret on an electronic device, let alone one connected to the Internet?

I expect our government to keep legitimate secrets secret and their business in the sunshine, they appear incapable of doing either. I don't like that our secrets have been exposed, but the incompetent SOBs that exposed our secrets and do corrupt things while in government service cannot be allowed the cover of secrecy. The integrity of our government is more important than keeping secrets about meddling in other countries governments and spying on our own citizens.

---

Corruption dies in the light of day.

🌫

As Dave said, as a person who held a clearance I understand the dilemma of this. Secrets involving national security are supposed to be protected. Government corruption needs to be exposed, however; so I can't hate the leaks, entirely.

What HRC did, though... is something for which a military member would have been court-martialed. And that is a cold, hard fact.

I don't think he's a traitor... if I was president I'd grant him instant immunity...

if he is a traitor, who did he betray? Evil politicians? A government breaking its own laws? I guess disobedience to the devil is still disobedience... I'd have a hard time calling it treason but I guess the devil wouldn't...

Less trust worthy because they're not outing W....

LMAO

^My thought exactly... suddenly they have an "agenda"... lmao indeed...

Snowden revealed illegal surveillance techniques used by the US guberment against its own people and worldwide. Most techniques are deemed unconstitutional & illegal, and the programs are halted. Yet Snowden is still the "bad guy" for being a whistle-blower, and living in exile in Russia. Yeah... it pays to rat-out the US guberment.

I got an email from some Russian chicks wanting to come here... they were HOT..!! 😍

Felony

Or oxymoron?
Having to break the law in order to prove the US guberment is breaking many laws?