Hero of our time?

OneOfThem Stumbled

Edward Snowden leaked information detailing the PRISM surveillance programme and is now out on a limb.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance?CMP=twt_gu

Unlike the Wikileaks affair, this isn't to do with the military, but civil surveillance.

So was he right? Was he foolhardy? Or do you think such surveillance is necessary for security?

LizT

From the charter

Not every news story needs a thread on After Hours. Don't just post up a link to a news article just because nobody else has. Add something to it. Your own point of view.
If you do start a thread, be prepared to contribute to it yourself, especially if you expect others to do so.

So what's your opinion?

JD DABA

Probably foolhardy - himself and Bradley Manning will NOT be forgiven by the powers that be, regardless the public outcry. Simply because an example has to be made.

Sergeant

Bill Gates.

The company he founded has had a profound and overwhelmingly positive influence on how we live our lives. And his decision to give away almost all his wealth (more than any other individual in history) makes him a proper hero.

Czarcasm

Oh. I thought the OP was going to suggest some heroes and we'd all chip in who would be our hero of recent times. For me it has to be this chap-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmqj8V0_hBI

Purely because I laughed for nearly two days straight after the way he was the complete antithesis of political correctness and almost every inch the stereotype, but in such a comically innocent way!

OneOfThem Stumbled

LizT wrote: »

From the charter


So what's your opinion?

Say he's more a hero than not. He seemingly had nothing to gain, he put noone in immediate danger, and exposed something which, if not illegal, is certainly immoral. His future is certainly less rosy as a consequence of his actions.

I suppose it can be debated how important surveillance is to prevent terrorism or whatever though.

Yellowblackbird

The Green Lantern.

KeithTS

Is it ok to nominate yourself?
Instead of killing a spider today I caught it, and let it free outside.....the little f***er came back in then so I stamped on him but surely it's the initial act of kindness that counts no?

Tigger

Mandella
or this guy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcENVN71sW8

everyone else is irrelevant

Prodigious

Hero. He has leaked possible the most serious documents since Bradley Manning. Put his life at risk to do so. I think the reason he came out publicly was so it makes it harder for any "accidents" to happen to him. Fair play is all I can say. All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

charlemont

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pifibs_q7ec

Jimoslimos

Tigger wrote: »

Mandella
or this guy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcENVN71sW8

everyone else is irrelevant

Not sure how simply surviving a shark makes you a "hero", unless he was saving someone else from being attacked. He's a Navy diver - sharks are one of the risks when you dive.

The word "hero" gets thrown about too easily.

Tigger

Jimoslimos wrote: »

Not sure how simply surviving a shark makes you a "hero", unless he was saving someone else from being attacked. He's a Navy diver - sharks are one of the risks when you dive.

The word "hero" gets thrown about too easily.

there is a video in this thread of someone danceing on a grave and you pick on mine
that guy is an example of spirit over loss
you however are a piece of shit

CarlDunne1979

Superman AKA Ched Evans.

I was reading an interview with Edward Snowden from the Guardian Newspaper, I believe, and it was amazing what they were saying; basically the NSA make people "disappear" quite a lot more than you can imagine and he genuinely has no idea what will happen to him.

What he did took an amazing amount of balls and could very well end his life!

IM0

Deleted User wrote: »

I was reading an interview with Edward Snowden from the Guardian Newspaper, I believe, and it was amazing what they were saying; basically the NSA make people "disappear" quite a lot more than you can imagine and he genuinely has no idea what will happen to him.

What he did took an amazing amount of balls and could very well end his life!

probably has a death wish or something, literally. and thought he may as well blow the cover on this if he has a completely unrelated wish to die and tell the world about it.

on the surface this seems like a decent enough program in theory, but unfortuantely there is the chance it can be used in ways the public would not agree with and even in ways the people who came up with the program and use it for how it was officially intended know about. blackmail immediately springs to mind, theres some nasty ****ers out there who will do anything for the right price and Im sure this agency has some too

Prodigious

IM0 wrote: »

probably has a death wish or something, literally. and thought he may as well blow the cover on this if he has a completely unrelated wish to die and tell the world about it.

If he remained anonymous, nobody would notice if he had a "heart attack" or was in a "car accident". Now though, any death will be suspicious, so he has a better chance of surviving, at least in the short term.

Fox_In_Socks

IM0 wrote: »

probably has a death wish or something, literally. and thought he may as well blow the cover on this if he has a completely unrelated wish to die and tell the world about it.

on the surface this seems like a decent enough program in theory, but unfortuantely there is the chance it can be used in ways the public would not agree with and even in ways the people who came up with the program and use it for how it was officially intended know about. blackmail immediately springs to mind, theres some nasty ****ers out there who will do anything for the right price and Im sure this agency has some too

If a technology exists, then someone is using it for whatever purpose.

Jimoslimos

Tigger wrote: »

there is a video in this thread of someone danceing on a grave and you pick on mine
that guy is an example of spirit over loss
you however are a piece of shit

As an aside I've actually met and dived with a former Australian Navy clearance diver (He was our divemaster). From his accounts the ordinance clearance divers are one of the most elite units in the Navy and renowned worldwide. I have the greatest respect for those who pick their lives up after adversity.

That however doesn't make him a hero.

I wasn't picking on your post, the point of a discussion forum is to discuss. As for the dancing on the grave video, irrelevant since I didn't see it as it was posted same time as mine.

Augmerson

Sergeant wrote: »

Bill Gates.

The company he founded has had a profound and overwhelmingly positive influence on how we live our lives. And his decision to give away almost all his wealth (more than any other individual in history) makes him a proper hero.

Was your no.2 Alan Shatter?

Sergeant

Augmerson wrote: »

Was your no.2 Alan Shatter?

No.

Your point is?

zom

OneOfThem Stumbled wrote: »

Edward Snowden leaked information detailing the PRISM surveillance programme and is now out on a limb.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance?CMP=twt_gu

Unlike the Wikileaks affair, this isn't to do with the military, but civil surveillance.

So was he right? Was he foolhardy? Or do you think such surveillance is necessary for security?

Great Man and Hero. Absolutely. And you can say it's naive, childish democracy ideals. You can say that we live in brutal reality and "democracy" world is just cliche for idiots - he still id HERO!

moneymad

Snowden on a plane to Moscow .

UCDVet

So much for freedom...

Nodin

UCDVet wrote: »

So much for freedom...

You've some point?

apache6

Hong Kong to Moscow where he did not apply for asylum, just passing through on route to Havana from there he will probably fly to Caracas, Venezuela and then on to Quito, Ecuador. Seems as if people from Wikileaks aided, advised and accompanied him on his journey so far.

Snowden is heading for Ecuador where he will be given sanctuary. I wish more countries had the courage that Ecuador displays.

NuckingFacker

Is he anything to Lord Snowden? Unusual name. Gutsy, but it will be like wikileaks. The world will go "oooohhh" and then "meh". And what will change? Nowt. On the other hand, can I have a fiver at 10-1 that he does not die with his boots on, of old age? My bet is an "accident". There's loads of "accidents". Nodin will be on in a minute to disagree.

apache6

Lord Snowdon not Snowden.