A Pardon For Ed Snowden?

[jim360]

One of the more bizarre stories in recent weeks has been this one: Trump is apparently seriously considering a pardon for Edward Snowden, the whistleblower that was such a big story seven years ago.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-politics-snowden/trump-says-hes-considering-pardon-for-leaker-edward-snowden-idUKKCN25B10T

I'm not sure what has prompted Trump to consider this, nor why he has changed his mind so dramatically about a person he repeatedly called "traitor", demanded should "face justice", and made it pretty clear that, in his mind, justice would mean execution. All of that was some years ago.

Still, although it is puzzling what's prompted this shift, the question really is: Should Snowden be pardoned, or not?

[ToraToraTora]

no, he should not be pardoned.

[dannyk13]

Jim //I'm not sure what has prompted Trump to consider this//
An imminent election perhaps.

[ToraToraTora]

yeah maybe he thinks he can attract some LibFac votes by pardoning a traitor.

[Rosie29]

I agree Danny - there's something in it for him you betcha.

[jim360]

Yes, the idea that it's election-related had occurred to me. But it's an odd pitch -- Liberals with any self-respect are hardly going to change their mind about Trump based on this one suggestion.

[ToraToraTora]

worried about your apple jim?

[dannyk13]

Jim// hardly going to change their mind about Trump based on this one suggestion.//
He is a desperate man and likely to try anything and everything to gain a few votes.

[KARL]

The corollary is this: Given that there are those who are sworn to punish him, should Edward Snowden trust any assurance that he has been (opportunistically ?) pardoned by Donald Trump if/when that is announced ?

[ichkeria]

He should not of course.

It might be amusing to speculate on what (other) possible electoral sweeteners Trump might resort to.

[ichkeria]

Sorry “he should not” was my answer to “should he be pardoned”

[ichkeria]

Some see Snowden as unpatriotic, some as upholding the freedoms of the people against the state.
I don’t think all of the latter (or for that matter the former) are on the left by any means

[Peter Pedant]

you know Clive ponting has just croaked - obit times

what did Snowden do?

On June 21, 2013, the Department of Justice unsealed charges against Snowden of two counts of violating the Espionage Act 1917 and theft of government property.

I thought he 'betrayed' the weeping angel program which was so well known that it had featured in Dr WHo, The Wire and The Good Wife

(outsiders switching on the samsung internal microphone in tellies so that outsiders cd hear what was said in living rooms)

the film is long but good

[ToraToraTora]

right oh PP!

[Canary42]

What a dilemma for the Hard Right supporters - one of their Champions wants to pardon one of their Targets.

[Peter Pedant]

// right oh PP!..
right oh TTT too !

something really wrong with the acid one-liner putdowns to day. one involved mushrooms on mt fuji which any one is free to explain ( VJ day thread)

[Peter Pedant]

it have even made it into the wiki article on snowden

BUT can you pardon someone if they havent been convicted ?
that would be more like immunity which I wdnta thought a president cd give effect to

Nixon was pardoned sort of pre-facto 1974 but you cd say that was a special case

[tomus42]

I don't think Snowden has been convicted of anything. If he had he wouldn't be in Russia, he'd be in an American prison.

I'm baffled by what Trump is trying to do here. I don't see how this gets him any votes.

[jim360]

Well, whatever the motivations -- or even if there are none -- it caught me utterly off-guard. This seems to be so counter to his usual base, his usual politics; and as we see one of his strongest supporters on AB is, at least, not in agreement.

[tomus42]

// This seems to be so counter to his usual base //

Exactly. I'd have thought it would lose him a few votes rather than gain any. Even the Trump fans must be temporarily baffled as none of them have popped up yet to explain the genius thinking behind this.

[Peter Pedant]

measured (! ha pun intended) summing up Jim
alliances easily made are easily broken perhaps ?

I wd like to think there was a Greater Messge in all this ( like they want to get him back and debrief him about Russian interests ) but Trump and his cohorts have never been great thinkers