Technology

When it comes to government transparency? Yes, undoubtedly.

Yes, that’s why there are avenues for whistleblowers. Publicly sharing classified information is not one of them.

The criminals are those in government, but they own the system and will never go after themselves.

What’s the point of this statement? So because we can’t prosecute some criminals we shouldn’t prosecute anybody?

As a veteran, and former Captain, of the USN, yes.

Yeah I’m sure you believe that. How many documents did you leak? You obviously didn’t use your security clearance to leak classified documents, which makes you a hypocrite. “Do as I say, not as I do”. Also, being a former captain doesn’t really make your opinion more valuable than anybody else’s.

Provided that they fall under the protections for whistleblowers, which both Edward Snowden, and Chelsea Manning fell into rather neatly, according to US federal laws.

Then you should know that publicly revealing classified information is not considered whistleblowing under the law. So I guess that changes your “Yes” to a “No”, since it was a “Yes” provided the statement that followed.

Illegal orders are illegal. Even the UCMJ agrees with that stance.

It looks like you’re not well informed on the subject. Snowden didn’t just say bad things were happening and that the US was spying on citizens (which would’ve still been illegal anyways). He stole 1.5 million classified documents, although he says that he hasn’t shared them.

The truth is that whether you like it or not, Snowden is a criminal who knew what he was doing.

The American People deserve the knowledge of what their government is doing. For too long has the government operate in crooked practices that only have made the people grow contempt and distrustful towards.

That is true, but unfortunately that’s not the law. It’s like smoking marihuana when it was illegal. Everyone knew it was harmless, but the law said to not smoke it so you shouldn’t. If you allow Snowden to break his confidentiality without consequences, you’re giving green light to everyone who wants to give classified information to foreign nations.

If the government is going to take, give back, take again and give back our rights while allowing itself to be influenced by corporate interests. It's fair game.

But it’s not fair game. The fact that it’s the right thing to do is not related to the fact that it’s illegal. You can say that Snowden did the right thing and that he’s a criminal that deserves prosecution. Both of those things can be true at the same time, and they are.

If you want to look for unjust prosecution, you look at Julian Assange’s case, not Snowden.