As a statement of reality, Snowden does Face the Consequences of his Actions [View all]

[cthulu2016]

Those consequences turned out to be losing his homeland forever, friends, family, etc., and living in perpetual and endless fear of life-long imprisonment or worse based on the whims of any patron granting him unreliable haven.

These are consequences that nobody reading this would wish for themselves and of a general sort that were surely anticipated before leak one.

He KNEW some bad shit was going to happen to him if he did X.

He did X despite that, for whatever reasons he had.

I don't know if it was right, or heroic or whatever... I don't feel that I know his motives. But it was obviously not cowardice.

I would not have done X because I am too self-interested and cowardly. I would not have given up my life (home, friends, family meaning of one's life) just to educate the public.

I wouldn't. I didn't immolate myself at the Pentagon to protest the Iraq Invasion either, so I don't claim that I "did everything I could do to oppose the war." I opposed the heck out of it, but I didn't do everything.

And I am fairly brave... I know a lot of people more cowardly than myself, and less principled, and more selfish. But I woudn't cross the whole American intelligence aparatus! I wouldn't. I would be afraid to do so, and would know that even if I 'got away with it' I would lose too much.

So the whole "Cowardly Snowden" thing is transparent, to me, as quintessential George W. Bush horse-shit.

Some guy who assumed a great deal of risk, voluntarily, is a coward. Of course.

Keyboard commandos are the real heroes... as always.