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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAl 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 Tennessees Southland Technology + Southern Culture Conference, he was asked what PandoDaily refers to as the Is he a traitor or a hero? question. Gore responded:
Im like most people, I dont put (Snowden) in either one of those categories. But I will be candidif you set up a spectrum, I would push it more away from the traitor side. He clearly violated the law; you cant 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
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)1. Huge K&R. Thank you, Al Gore.
Thank you, Edward Snowden.
Douglas Carpenter
(20,226 posts)2. knr
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)3. Kick
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)4. I share this non black/white view of Snowden.
I don't consider him a complete hero or traitor. More like a bit of both.
Julie