I totally get it, I live next to that big pain in the ass as well. Luckily, he hasn’t invaded us yet, but I feel it’s only a matter of time. And what Snowden does here certainly doesn’t help.
But he could have just done nothing and lived a very happy life. Instead, he chose to give up his happy life to uncover the NSA scandal, knowing full well that it will absolutely wreck his life.
Personally, I think he did enough for the greater good there. This isn’t his war, and if he has to post some lies to get a bit of normalcy back in his life, I can understand that. I wish it wasn’t that way, but I can understand it.
Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 2 days ago
Still it’s the 100.0% USAs decisions that pushed him to Russia, it’s not like he went there immediately (2013), he was on the run and in shitty conditions for years before he finally had enough and went to Russia (2022).
USA still wanted to disappear (torture) him, not even allowing him to stay in NATO or non-NATO countries.
A USA hero is safer in Russia, and Putin had nothing to do with setting that situation up (safe for not deporting him to USA ofc, which otc lol).
Alphane_Moon@lemmy.world 2 days ago
And how does this justify Snowden promoting russian genocidal imperialism in Ukraine?
He did a good thing, so now he is an untouchable saint?
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
I’m guessing that was a deal Russia made with him, he gets to live as long as he’s useful to Russia.
I don’t think anyone is calling him a saint. He’s a whistleblower whose best option was to defect to Russia, after a period of trying not to do that.
Alphane_Moon@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Treating him as a saint; because he revealed the NSA stuff, all his subsequent actions are justified and he should not be subject to criticism.
This is an extremely common view in some part of the English speaking internet.
I reject this approach. As far as I am concerned, I hope him and his family get to experience what they the wish upon Ukrainians in the occupied territories (getting sent to to a torture camp for speaking Ukrainian).