Why the US would prefer Snowden stay in Russia than elsewhere?

[kentuck]

Because America understands how Russia operates and Russia understand how America operates. Both have been spying on each other for a very long time. There are few surprises. Better with the enemy we know.

Also, Snowden has painted himself into a corner. He does not choose to stay in Russia but he has nowhere else to go that can offer the security that Russia offers. Granted, when you make your bed, you have to sleep in it. Either he can come back to America and face the music or he can stay in Russia and sing to the music.

The unrelenting propaganda war has turned against Snowden in recent days. Russia and the US will be negotiating for his release, if the US can make a substantial offer to the Russians. Putin will not surrender him for nothing.

Regardless, the controversy will continue. Did he really do great harm to America's security? Or did he do the people of our nation a great service by informing them of what their government was doing in their name? To many, he is a traitor. To others, he is a hero. Only time will tell.

[UTUSN]

1. I was going to ask, why is PootyPoot talking "our partner"/U.S.? n/t

[kentuck]

2. Putin will deal for the right price.

He is a deceptive son of a gun.

[markiv]

5. 'pootypoot' is juvenile

for the majority of the last 50 years, American children lived with the possibility that at any moment of any day, there could be a flash of light, and life for the human race as everyone had known it, would be over, and that flash of light would be from russia

whateverr his virtues or evils, i really think he doesnt want that for his or our people (and there might still be a few in russia that he deals with who still do), and that's a huge step in the right direction. i think for that he deserves a little respect

[UTUSN]

7. While all of us are a mixture of virtues and evils, my take on PootyPoot is that his ratio is

way skewed to the evil side, and it was absurd of Shrub, who named him PootyPoot, to think he peered into his soul and found this idealism and statesman curled up inside there. I save my name-calling for anybody not on the Dem/Lib/Progressive side of things, foreign or domestic, and I can disagree with you without calling you "juvenile".

That is, I have zero idea where you got your information about what he wants or doesn't want, or that "there might still be a few" who want that "flash of light."

Let's just leave it at this: My idealism is more alloyed than yours is.

[Taverner]

8. Pootypoot is a ruler. Therein, is the problem

I don't care who you take and make ruler, the same thing always happens

[markiv]

3. I dont think Russia wants to return him to the USA

Putin has a dicy proposition. He wants stable ties with the USA, but Snowden is a 'Hearts and Minds' issue with the American public, roughly half of the public supports him

Putin trades him away, he gains with the American government, but loses with the American public (unless he believes, perhaps correctly, that the American public has no influence on the govmt whatsoever). The only way he can win this game is to not play

He Pontious Pilate here, he wants Snowden to go somewhere else, or at least shup up of leave the world stage if he stays in Russia

[kentuck]

4. Also, the Russian people think very highly of him...

So Putin is playing to his people, also.

[leveymg]

6. He'll probably pick up some Russian language and habits fairly quickly. Here's a useful phrase:

Ваше заявление о предоставлении убежища было одобрено, товарищ Эдвард Сноуден. Добро пожаловать в страну свободы и братского мира. Теперь, вы должны научиться, как водка.

("Your asylum application has been approved, comrade Edward Snowden. Welcome to the land of freedom and fraternal peace. Now, you will have to learn to like Vodka.&quot

He should start with the word водка.