Snowden is what is called a whistleblower. A whistleblower is, by definition, an informant who exposes wrongdoing within an organization in the hope of stopping it. However he is no ordinary whistleblower for no ordinary organsation. He has exposed top secret details about US surveillance techniques that are used by the NSA. It was leaked by Mr. Snowden that the US Government has been seizing mass amounts of web and phone data to spy on US citizens.
This has lead to a complete shit storm in the US. Civil libertarians and the like have come out in anger and disgust on the details that Snowden has exposed. They cry foul play by the US government and that it has gone against all that the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution stands for. Amendment VI states, in short, that it is the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects. Those who stand firmly against the actions of the government have cited Amendment VI to expose that the authorities have stood against something the United States was founded on - the very principles of a nation.
Snowden is now in Hong Kong fighting against extradition to his homeland to be tried and inevitably imprisoned for his 'crimes' against the state. The reason Hong Kong plays such a significant role outside of Snowden's location is because of the 60,000+ incidents of hacking by the NSA there are many that have happened right there on those very shores. He intends to let the courts and people of Hong Kong decide his fate and will ask the authorities that this is how the case is treated in terms of his potential extradition to the States.
It is worth noting at this point the US has not issued an extradition request but we can all assume that nature will take her course. The sky is blue and water is clear. The US government will reign in its enemies from all four corners and the circle is complete - Snowden is an enemy if I hadn't made that clear.
What Snowden actually is, is a brave man. An extraordinary man. A fantastic man. He has, without doubt, ended any opportunity of freely returning to his homeland for the rest of his days alongside freely entering any close ally nation of the USA. However it must be remembered that not everyone is an ally of the USA - in fact Snowden allegedly been offered asylum in Russia.
It's not often I stand behind those pesky Russians, but I am glad that they are not willing to be bullied by the hegemonic power. Their civil liberties track record is less than desirable but what I am concerned about here is the safety of Mr. Snowden. He has stood up against all that his brain MUST have told him to keep to himself but instead followed his heart to do what is right. It is wholly WRONG what the NSA is doing to it's own citizens - Fourth Amendment or not. It is not the right of a government to go snooping through the data of it's people without at least giving them prior knowledge to such acts - a warrant is still a thing.
I understand that this must come across as some mad NSA/US Government conspiracy to some people but there is a great gulf of difference between a conspiracy and the truth. The US Government doesn't even have the pride to deny their crude actions but instead stands firm against it's own constitution - something the President is supposed to protect.
Let us not hear the end of this. I hope the American people make their voices heard about this and continue to hold their government accountable for their crimes. If any US citizen was to go snooping through the private records and data of another citizen then they would be arrested, tried and punished for their actions. And rightly so.
Let us also not forget that this could cause an absolute diplomatic disaster. We are on a collision course for some good old fashioned East v. West politics here. USA vs. China/Russia. Just like the good times, eh? Let the games begin.
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