> He took highly-classified information to China & Russia. What other word than 'traitor' applies?
Do you guys keep repeating falshoods over and over again even in the face of evidence to the contrary for a reason? Do you think if you keep spouting lies they will somehow become true?
He leaked the information to journalists globally. He didn't hand the information over to China or Russia. Whatever information they might have on US surveillance operations came from the same leaks the journalists have chosen to release. Snowden was not in possession of any documents by the time he arrived in Russia.
> he's a criminal, a spy and — yes — a traitor.
A criminal under the espionage act yes, but he's also a whistleblower that is being denied whisteblower protections.
A spy? I assume you have some proof of this otherwise you are talking out of your ass.
A traitor? A traitor to his superiors maybe. His loyalty was to the American people first and foremost, not the government. As yours should be. He betrayed a secretive, undemocratic practice by an unaccountable government. The people should be singing his praises because he acted in the very interests of the Republic and its people, you know that thing you all claim to love and protect in your weird, cult-like pledges of allegiance that you force your kids to recite? The fact that you have been convinced by those that don't have your interests at heart that a man that was trying to help you is your enemy is the ultimate fucking tragedy here.