So, are the espionage charges against Snowden going to be dropped? Otherwise they want to convict a man of exposing illegal activity, which doesn't make a lot of sense.
Of course it is bullshit .. but since when did that stop them? Exceptionalism has been the key word, used almost every time the government violated a laws or moral boundary (both domestically and abroad).
Why would anyone expect sense, from a government that will never receive actual jail time from any national court, in a country were potential punishment appears to be the main motivator for powerful people to not do everything illegal?
Why on earth would anyone still expect any sense, after the USA went as far as creating laws to justify military invasion of a foreign country, if an international tribunal would ever charge them with violating international law?
Why are so many American citizens still so naive about the real nature of their own government. Always thinking it's the other party that's the bad guys .. never wanting to accept that the party really doesn't matter (just ask any foreign country that received an unhealthy dose of "freedom and democracy").
To drive that point even a little further, the mafia (the actual one, in Italy) also had done many good things, helping many local people out, often when it was the government that totally failed those people. But none of that made it any less of a ruthless criminal organization.
Should any of the US government's good deeds (if any, because I have never seen the USA do anything abroad that wasn't first and foremost good for them, only in second place for the local population) ever excuse any of their criminal activities?
I don't see what is complicated here. To me, the answer is just as clear as with the Italian mafia (during its heydays): no! Crimes are crimes, no matter who commits them.
Not arguing one way or the other here, as I simply don't know enough about the situation.