Snowden has "keys to kingdom," says NSA official

"This is analogous to a hostage-taker taking 50 people hostage, shooting 10 and then say 'You give me full amnesty and I'll let the other 40 go,'" he was quoted as saying.

Sorry, Mr. Alexander, the analogy is more as it follows: There's a witness who knows about your criminal and illegal activities. And you want to do everything to silence him and stop him from telling the truth to the world.

And now Russia has keys to your kingdom. Feeling a bit vulnerable?
It's about time someone else had the advantage.

A vital question is do these files directly threaten the well-being of the ordinary citizens of the US and its allies?

If not, then perhaps it isn't treason.

As a young student in the 1970s with left-wing ideas and sympathy towards some socialist countries via my connection with the former Yugoslavia, I was still greatly appalled by the actions of the 'Cambridge spies' - a group of Privileged Britons who handed information to Stalin that in all probability could have threatened ordinary people in the West. That's something I would NEVER do, despite my utter contempt for every British Government since 1979, and in some cases even before then.

The concept of 'My Country Right or Wrong' is not a negative one if it applies first and foremost to the well-being of the whole country and by opposing anything that might threaten its citizens. This is why I despise self-hating Serbs and those opposition activists in, say, Russia and the Ukraine whose actions are backed up by actual or potential hostile powers that care nothing for them.

Doubtful that he has any information that Russia does not already possess, do you really think this has "shocked" anyone. Every leader of the world knows that he/she are being spied on
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Doubtful that Russia knew as much as they know now. Sure, everyone knows that spying goes on. That's not news even to us, ordinary citizens, but there is no way that any country could know as much as when they are handed over complete files.

At least Russia will know exactly who their own traitors are if nothing else. They can plug their own leaks.

Like the American said, he has the keys to the kingdom and now Russia has the same keys. Obviously America will change the locks now but too much has been taken out already.

And now Russia has keys to your kingdom. Feeling a bit vulnerable?
It's about time someone else had the advantage.
(Peggy, 16 December 2013 23:34
Doubtful that he has any information that Russia does not already possess, do you really think this has "shocked" anyone. Every leader of the world knows that he/she are being spied on. America is no where ahead of most countries esp Russia on the spy game. Reactions are merely to keep their own people in the dark as far as how indepth their own spying has evolved.
But if true that he has agreed to release classified information to Brazil or any country in exchange for anything then he has elevated his crime to treason and pretty much insures that the rest of his life is in the hands of Russia, traveling anywhere else in the world is pretty much improbable.

A vital question is do these files directly threaten the well-being of the ordinary citizens of the US and its allies?

If not, then perhaps it isn't treason.

As a young student in the 1970s with left-wing ideas and sympathy towards some socialist countries via my connection with the former Yugoslavia, I was still greatly appalled by the actions of the 'Cambridge spies' - a group of Privileged Britons who handed information to Stalin that in all probability could have threatened ordinary people in the West. That's something I would NEVER do, despite my utter contempt for every British Government since 1979, and in some cases even before then.

The concept of 'My Country Right or Wrong' is not a negative one if it applies first and foremost to the well-being of the whole country and by opposing anything that might threaten its citizens. This is why I despise self-hating Serbs and those opposition activists in, say, Russia and the Ukraine whose actions are backed up by actual or potential hostile powers that care nothing for them.

And now Russia has keys to your kingdom. Feeling a bit vulnerable?
It's about time someone else had the advantage.

And now Russia has keys to your kingdom. Feeling a bit vulnerable?
It's about time someone else had the advantage.
(Peggy, 16 December 2013 23:34
Doubtful that he has any information that Russia does not already possess, do you really think this has "shocked" anyone. Every leader of the world knows that he/she are being spied on. America is no where ahead of most countries esp Russia on the spy game. Reactions are merely to keep their own people in the dark as far as how indepth their own spying has evolved.
But if true that he has agreed to release classified information to Brazil or any country in exchange for anything then he has elevated his crime to treason and pretty much insures that the rest of his life is in the hands of Russia, traveling anywhere else in the world is pretty much improbable.

"This is analogous to a hostage-taker taking 50 people hostage, shooting 10 and then say 'You give me full amnesty and I'll let the other 40 go,'" he was quoted as saying.

Sorry, Mr. Alexander, the analogy is more as it follows: There's a witness who knows about your criminal and illegal activities. And you want to do everything to silence him and stop him from telling the truth to the world.

Doubtful that he has any information that Russia does not already possess, do you really think this has "shocked" anyone. Every leader of the world knows that he/she are being spied on
================================
Doubtful that Russia knew as much as they know now. Sure, everyone knows that spying goes on. That's not news even to us, ordinary citizens, but there is no way that any country could know as much as when they are handed over complete files.

At least Russia will know exactly who their own traitors are if nothing else. They can plug their own leaks.

Like the American said, he has the keys to the kingdom and now Russia has the same keys. Obviously America will change the locks now but too much has been taken out already.