Let's be Clear

[dawg]

119. We're talking about two different things.

You are talking about "hero" versus "traitor". You're talking about whether or not Snowden had a "noble" cause.

For the purposes of this argument, I'm being agnostic about all of that.

The only point I'm trying to get you to understand is that Snowden, in his own mind, *had* a cause. And it was a cause that he believed so strongly in that he was willing to put himself at significant risk.

For some reason, that makes your head explode. I don't know why. I'm not saying that his cause was necessarily something good, just that he had one. For some reason, you cannot accept this, even though it is self-evident.

Perhaps he just hates Obama. That is a cause. Perhaps he's a member of Al Queda. That is a cause. Perhaps he fears the NSA has gotten out of hand and is dangerous to our freedoms. That is a cause. Perhaps he thinks the aliens told him to leak the info. That is a cause.

Whatever the cause, and we could debate that endlessly, he HAS one. And he believes in it.

You say that prima facie points to him being a national traitor. Guess what? Wanting to take down the U.S. is a cause, too.

The fact that Snowden's opponents are not willing to believe that he has a cause at all is, to me, an indication of their unwillingness to honestly reflect on what that cause might actually be. It's much easier to just put your finger in your ears, sing "la la la" and throw insults at the man.