Why did Manning and Snowden risk their lives?

[RobertEarl]

They didn't do it for love of money.

The fame is nothing.

For all I can tell, they did what they did for love of country.

[elleng]

1. Yes, for love of country imo.

[Warpy]

2. They loved the ideal of what this country was supposed to be

and loathed what it had become, thanks to the cult of secrecy.

If we had known what they were doing every step of the way, perhaps we might have stopped it.

Then again, if most people here were just a tiny bit more engaged, we'd have to start watering them.

[Kahuna]

12. They loathed what it has always really been and will continue to be.

They were naive to believe they could really change things. If the politicians tell us that they will change things, they will be lying.

[JDPriestly]

3. K&R.

The risk of life imprisonment is so great that there cannot be any reason for taking it so publicly. They were not paid to make their statements. There are no rewards, not in the long term. They did it for love of country but also for love of the truth and of honesty.

[intaglio]

4. They didn't risk their lives

Manning did not do it for money or fame.

Snowden? Well I'd like to see the accounts of moneys paid by various media groups and whether there are book deals and television rights involved.

[Waiting For Everyman]

5. This guy said it well

"There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part! You can't even passively take part! And you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels…upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!" (Mario Savio, December 2, 1964)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Savio

[HiPointDem]

6. oh, you know, manning did it because he's a misfit short gay person who wanted to revenge

himself on the normies he hates, and snowden did it because he's a chinese/russian/bolivian secret agent.

[Maximumnegro]

7. How did Snowden risk his life?

Please list all the whistleblowers we've killed. Thanks.

[davidn3600]

8. Snowden was willing to throw it all away

Threw away a girlfriend. Gave up a good, high-paying job. Gave up his freedom.

Now he can't come back home ever again.

And you better believe he'd be tortured if he comes back here. They will throw him in solitary for got knows how long. He won't be allowed any access to the media. He wouldnt be allowed access to an attorney.

Keep in mind, what we do to prisoners in this country several human rights groups say is torture and inhumane. Right now prisoners in California are in a hunger strike because of keeping people in solitary confinement in bad conditions for years on end.

[randome]

10. 'Threw away a girlfriend'. You make it sound like she's something in a toolbox.

Funny how we never hear from her again. Funny how he never mentions her. There is something wrong with Snowden. All he was able to steal were internal NSA office documents. No evidence of illegality or abuse by the NSA. That is what he 'risked his life' for? (Never mind that he risked nothing but a jail term.)

He said in his first appearance from Hong Kong: "You see things". But he won't ever say what he saw.

He said "I am not here to hide from justice" while hiding in Hong Kong. Does that sound like a man who carefully thought out what he was doing?

I think both Manning and Snowden are very mixed up individuals.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Don't ever underestimate the long-term effects of a good night's sleep.[/center][/font][hr]

[davidn3600]

11. If what he took is so meaningless, why is the govnt so determined to get him back?

We are burning diplomatic bridges to get him back. We have senators making threats to Russia to get him back. If all he took is junk, why is it so important to bring him back here?

And what the NSA is doing, collecting data from every American citizen without a warrant, is abuse in my opionion and is illegal. It is a violation of the 4th amendment. The government is not supposed to be searching and collecting without FIRST obtaining a warrant. And that warrant can only be given if probable cause exists.

If that makes you feel less safe...too bad. My freedoms are more important than you having an illusion of safety.

[randome]

20. Yeah, and Russian politicans are threatening gay Olympians.

Politicians open their big fat mouths all the time.

And Snowden gave away classified information to Chinese journalists and to Der Spiegel, which was forced to redact.

Der Spiegel showed responsibility. Snowden did not. It makes sense to try and bring a thief to justice.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Don't ever underestimate the long-term effects of a good night's sleep.[/center][/font][hr]

[RobertEarl]

21. The information

Who did the info belong too? The US government. For what reason is the US government established? For the people.

This information belonged to the people and the people are glad to finally hear all about it.

Snowden didn't steal it from the people, he gave it to the people. He didn't even steal it, all he did was copy it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. But the US government insists he's not a whistleblower

and he's charged with espionage. Various politicians call him a 'traitor'. Those are the kind of people who do sometimes get killed by the US government, these days by drone.

[pinboy3niner]

9. What we have here...

We see a lot of what I think of as "In your face" threads by one side or the other. They often get clever and funny replies. But they focus on personalities, not on issues, and I try to avoid them--even though some of them are on my "side."

I'm sorry, but I think this is one of those threads.

[RobertEarl]

15. Sure, dude, whatever you say

The issue here is why these two brave men did what they did.

I notice you aren't on topic, but if you were, what would be your explanation for their brave actions?

[Life Long Dem]

13. Snowden was fired from his position at the CIA

I suspect something happened with him over that.

Edward Snowden Took Job With Access To NSA Information Because Of Sequestration, Father Says

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/31/edward-snowden-sequestration_n_3683099.html

[Pelican]

14. I don't know about Snowden...

... but based on what I've seen of Manning...

He was a typical troubled and failed Soldier who wanted to use his position of trust to harm the organization that he had failed at. Probably felt that he had been "wronged"

[Octafish]

16. Judging from the reaction over the past weeks, many DUers would not give up what M&S have given up.

“Even if you’re not doing anything wrong, you’re being watched and recorded. …it’s getting to the point where you don’t have to have done anything wrong, you simply have to eventually fall under suspicion from somebody, even by a wrong call, and then they can use this system to go back in time and scrutinize every decision you’ve ever made, every friend you’ve ever discussed something with, and attack you on that basis, to sort of derive suspicion from an innocent life.” -- Edward Snowden

[RobertEarl]

17. Would they even consider it?

Our soldiers, for the most part, serve day in and day out risking their lives for the freedom of speech and for this country.

Without a free press, meaning a press not hounded by the government, this country can not survive. We all owe a great deal to those who exercise their free speech. OTOH, we are threatened by those who think free speech is passe, or should otherwise not be so free.

Snowden and Manning saw a reason to risk, and an opportunity, and they bravely acted. Just as many soldiers have done, just on a different battlefield, using different weapons.

[treestar]

18. They did not risk their lives

There is no death penalty for the charges against Snowden.

Manning is not getting it either.

[RobertEarl]

19. Huh?

They have risked their lives. Both of them, their lives have changed. They have sacrificed their normal lives.

And they've done so for love of the US and our freedoms guaranteed by the constitution.

Bush declared war on people he termed: "Hate our freedoms". These men love our freedoms and have sacrificed. More than that peckerhead Bush ever did.

[treestar]

24. "risk your life" usually refers to a risk of death

not in the teenaged sense of "my life is crushed."

They are both troubled, they did not knowingly give up their normal lives to do some good deed to save everyone else. That's obvious with snowden's flight. Manning released so many documents, that it could not be that he was trying to save America or something. They are both about themselves, not others.

[4bucksagallon]

22. Some people just need to worship others.......

It is a shame when they choose ones that have committed treason or are traitors to worship. Do you also worship Benedict Arnold? How about Oliver North? Ollie got a cold blooded murderer from my unit in Vietnam off the hook by testifying on his behalf so he must also be a "lover of country" too? I can't follow the reasoning of people that say Snowed In is a hero.