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Comment by teddyh | Hacker News Reader

I fail to see how what Snowden has done has promoted world peace. The Nobel Peace prize is not (recent awardees notwithstanding) a we-like-you prize. It's supposed to be about world peace, and I just don't see how Snowden has advanced that particular goal. Or am I just dense?

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Anyone who gets in the way of government abuses is promoting peace in my opinion. In Snowden's case, he's released information about programs that are specifically abusing the privacy of the world's population. One hopes that such a release serves as an impetus to curb or prevent it in the future. I think that at least fits my criteria.

I'm sorry, I still don't see the link between "[curbing] government abuses" and "promoting peace". What is the link?

How about the fact that a young clever men with top salary, beautiful girlfriend and comfortable life in one of the (supposedly) most developed country in entire world couldn't stand his own government's abuse, and decided to break the silence, knowing (Bradley M?) that his life is over.

Is that good enough reason for you? How about this: he promoted the truth, because otherwise had he not done it, we could have ended in a North Korea type dictatorship.

Hats off to Mr. Snowden.

http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.14361929.4039/flat,550x550,07...

Well, I think government abuses falls under the umbrella of things that aren't peace. Thus, action against government abuses would be implicitly promoting peace.

The peace prize is often awarded to those who champion human rights and democratization.

Well. The definition for the awards it definitively arguable. It states "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.". Which is the basis of why Obama got the award. Apparently he help improve the American image of their foreign polices (without actually improving it). Snowden has done the opposite regardless of what he did the right thing or now (I applaud him). So far the actions of Snowden has resulted in a further divide between countries (US and others). So yeah he does not reserve the Nobel Peace Price. He does deserve freedom and some prize though (not sure which one).

Imagine that cyberwar really is a new kind of warfare that is about to emerge. This may or may not be a useful way of viewing the situation, but governments do seem willing to attack each others' infrastructure, causing great damage to civilians in the process. They have also begun using the kind of surveillance that is usually only justifiable during wartime.

If the Internet is being militarized, Snowden has pointed that out. He's shown that the NSA is actually one of the "standing armies" that the Peace Prize rules mention. Now we can talk about reducing it.

I still think it would be a stretch to award him the Peace Prize, but anything that keeps the Internet from becoming a war zone promotes world peace.

Obama didn't do anything to earn it either, other than not being George W. Bush.

I did say “recent awardees notwithstanding”.

Fair enough. I just wanted to restate the obvious.

No, it's not just you. It's completely undeserved.

Well he did take a huge personal risk to promote freedom etc...

Freedom, yes, but peace?

Peace is more than just an absence of fighting.

Those go hand in hand.

Weakening the global hegemon is certainly a contribution to world peace.

Historically, weakening hegemony has led to periods of strife, not peace.

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