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Douglas Carpenter

(20,226 posts)
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 08:36 AM Jun 2014

Al Gore: Snowden Performed an ‘Important Service’ by Revealing Spying That Threatens Democracy


National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden (AP Photo/The Guardian)

Former Vice President Al Gore did not exactly break new ground when he said Tuesday that Edward Snowden had “provided an important service” by revealing to the extent to which the American government spies on people in the United States and abroad.

So Gore was, in many senses, simply restating a relatively mainstream view when, during a session at Tennessee’s Southland Technology + Southern Culture Conference, he was asked what PandoDaily refers to as the “Is he a traitor or a hero?” question. Gore responded:


I’m like most people, I don’t put (Snowden) in either one of those categories. But I will be candid—if you set up a spectrum, I would push it more away from the traitor side. He clearly violated the law; you can’t say OK what he did is alright. It is not.

But what he revealed in the course of violating important laws included violations of the Constitution that were way more serious than the crimes he committed. In the course of violating important laws he also provided an important service because we did need to know how far this has gone.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/180183/al-gore-snowden-performed-important-service-revealing-spying-threatens-democracy

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Al Gore: Snowden Performed an ‘Important Service’ by Revealing Spying That Threatens Democracy (Original Post) Douglas Carpenter Jun 2014 OP
Huge K&R. Thank you, Al Gore. woo me with science Jun 2014 #1
knr Douglas Carpenter Jun 2014 #2
Kick woo me with science Jun 2014 #3
I share this non black/white view of Snowden. JNelson6563 Jun 2014 #4

JNelson6563

(28,151 posts)
4. I share this non black/white view of Snowden.
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 10:46 AM
Jun 2014

I don't consider him a complete hero or traitor. More like a bit of both.

Julie

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