On a scale of 1-10, how naive and unprepared

[malaise]

is Snowden? Was he set up by the 1% and Paulbots and ditched like a hot potato?

[Renew Deal]

1. I've heard talk that he was a spy

Was he actively giving away information before the big reveal?

[NightWatcher]

2. Very naive

I think he thought he was being a good libertarian and exposing something devilish about the Evil Empire and that the other Paulbots would praise him.

In fact, he was way in over his head. He did not work in intel yet he was going to be the judge of what intel he could release that would be safe to other agents.

He made grand claims that as it turned out he cannot substantiate. Like I said, way in over his head and now he's screwed

[KittyWampus]

3. IIUC, NYTimes article says part of his repertoire was hacking.

That's how he moved along the career track he did. He was able to hack and thus was useful. That's what contractors etc are looking for, young people with hacking capabilities to work on getting into various systems.

SO, was he:

Typical libertarian Paulbot hacker who decided to go all Jason Bourne on his own?
Typical libertarian Paulbot hacker who was approached by someone on the forums he frequented?

[Andy823]

5. I will take number 2

Typical libertarian Paulbot hacker who was approached by someone on the forums he frequented

Not sure if it was some of the forums he frequented or by someone else, but I really think there are others behind him who encouraged his actions for their own benefit.

[flamingdem]

17. I do as well and I think the hackers are Chinese and located in Hong Kong

There's a reason he went there in the first place. Within days there was a large protest movement in his favor with printed signs and slogans. This was picked up on the mainland followed by the release of intelligence about US hacking in HK and in Beijing that was very damaging to the USA.

[KurtNYC]

15. or, 3, he criminally hacked the government and they flipped him and

made him hack FOR them. That may explain why he didn't finish high school, why his background checks seem to have missed things or tolerated them, etc.

[KittyWampus]

30. Darn, Kurt. I think you might have nailed it. Your post just sounds spot on. Yes, it's conjecture-

but it sure seems to fit.

[SamKnause]

4. Snowden

In his interviews his does not seem naive.

He states clearly, that he knows all the consequences facing him for going against the most powerful country in the world.

Unprepared ???

How exactly would one prepare for such an onslaught ?

I don't think he was set up.

I don't think he is being used.

I think he is sincere and I for one am extremely grateful and in awe of his courage.

No country should extradite anyone to the U.S.

The U.S. tortures.

That is not an accusation.

It is a fact.

[malaise]

8. Any exposure

Of Constitutional violations is a good thing but not knowing that his passport could be canceled is beyond naivete.

[HipChick]

16. Yep..not all smart folks have common sense

[Buzz Clik]

6. One might ask the same question ...

... of his fan base.

[RC]

7. One might ask the same basic question ...

of his distractors.

[Buzz Clik]

10. Do any of us ever get answers?

I need to know if I am naive.

[RC]

19. That depends.

Do you think the 4th Amendment only applies insides your home? And sometimes only if you own it?

What do you think of the Local, State and Federal governments, tear gassing and using rubber bullets on peaceful demonstrations against the actions of a government acting counter to the US Constitution, or normal laws in effect? (Article I)

What do you think of Bradly Manning being tortured and held prisoner, in isolation, without access to an attorney, for over a year? (Article V & VI)

It seems to me, most people of average of better intelligence should be able to figure that out for themselves. Even though the national news is heavily based to the Right, there is still enough information getting through from other sources, we should be able to figure out the real facts and determine the truth after a while. We just have to take the time look.
Think of the news as a puzzle, you have to put together to see the complete picture.
With enough pieces, with the picture beginning to emerge, any pieces in the wrong place or that do not belong soon become obvious.
The trick is to question, do not blindly accept what you were first told, especially later, when too may pieces to not fit the picture.

[Buzz Clik]

20. Isn't this about Snowden? Where are you headed?

[RC]

21. You can't see the connection?

[Buzz Clik]

22. Of course. They are related, but Manning and Snowden's cases are quite different.

Answer if you like, but I'm letting this go.

I've grown weary of DUers lecturing me as if I have no ability to read, think, and reason for myself.

[RC]

27. Maybe that is a clue?

[KittyWampus]

12. His distractors? Snowden is distracted? That might help explain things.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

9. Yeah...another genius operation by "Paulbots" and the Teabaggers

These are the same dumb motherfuckers who surprise us when they demonstrate that they know how to velcro their shoes. And yet, it's popular among a certain set here to talk about the unseen hand of the Tea Party masterfully playing Snowden like a puppet and embarrassing the Executive in the process. It takes a combination of large measures of fear and credulity to talk oneself into believing that 'baggers are secretly running this operation.

[Atman]

29. Bingo. I can't think of one Tea Bagger capable of anything this extensive.

Remember, the Tea Baggers aren't a "real" party, they're an AstroTurf group by the Koch Brothers which sucked in all the stupid people to act as a distraction post-Bush. There isn't a one of them smart enough to pull off something on the world-espionage/bring down the United States scale.

Snowden is a good example of this. His rich patsy mouth peace Greenwald remains free, making money off of Snowden, while Snowden will remain in permanent exile until he dies, or winds up locked in a SuperMax. He didn't think this thing through. Tea Baggers rarely think anything through...like even their original name.

[EdwardSmith74]

11. All he did was reveal some embarassing violations of the 4th Amendment.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. People are still waiting for the "revealing" part. Not the "promise to reveal" part. nt

[EdwardSmith74]

18. Fair call. What I don't get is why the US can cancel his passport when he hasn't even been charged.

[JaneyVee]

24. Because he's been named in a federal warrant.

[EdwardSmith74]

25. But not an international one. They stole his identity without charges against him.

[JaneyVee]

26. It doesn't matter, his passport can be revoked due to being named in a federal warrant:

http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/15mcrm.htm#9-15.640

[Union Scribe]

14. Most whistleblowers are naive

in not appreciating how viciously the powers that be and their lapdogs will go after them.

(I can almost hear someone typing..."but he weresn't a whistlebowler!!11" Save it.)

[hack89]

23. Off the scale. nt

[bemildred]

28. He seems to have ripped the NSA off for everything they had to rip off.

How naive is that?