Should People Who Just MAY Be Violating The Oaths Of Office They Swore To...

[Igel]

9. Pointless challenge--"checking yourself first."

Pretty much nobody considers himself (herself) a traitor.

Snowden's not just trying to hurt the US. He's a patriot! He's trying to make the US suffer so it'll see the errors of its ways, repent, acknowledge his Truth and go on to a Bright Shining Future.

Those who outed Plame were trying to do what was Best for America, showing that a former ambassador wasn't doing what was Best for America. However, that former ambassador published his op-ed piece as part of what he could do that was Best for America.

You have to be pretty cynical even of yourself to check yourself and not find a gleaming, proud patriot there. As you say, "my definition and your definition of the word 'patriot' may be quite different."

Perhaps Hiss didn't see himself as a patriot. Then again, I'd probably be surprised if he didn't. After all, how better to keep the US from engaging in hubris and using the Bomb to bully others and deny its own better angel than to make sure using the Bomb would produce very, very bad consequences. Rather like the good parents who don't want their daughters innoculated against the cervical cancer virus or trained to use contraceptive. If "corruption" is less risky then it's more attractive.