HorrorScope wrote on Jul 28, 2015, 19:38:
Snowden can't realistically be pardoned, think of the floodgates it could open if he were? He's right in many ways and I'm sure several politico's even agree, but just cannot happen and it wouldn't happen anywhere.
The main problem is that there isn't an independent impartial whistleblower protection agency that people can go to. You can't do it within the department that you discover the malfeasance, since that triggers cover-ups and reprisals. You can't use the FBI, since they're an instrument of the status quo that will pursue the whistleblower over actually dealing with the issues reported. Snowden took the only path he could while still ensuring success, especially knowing the harassment, persecution, and career destruction whistleblowers that worked within the system (i.e.
Thomas Drake and
William Binney) went through.
"Even after you've had the COVID-19 vaccine, you still need to wash hands, watch distance and wear a mask because you can still transmit the virus even though you're not going to get sick." - NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins