As a statement of reality, Snowden does Face the Consequences of his Actions
Those consequences turned out to be losing his homeland forever, friends, family, etc., and living in perpetual and endless fear of life-long imprisonment or worse based on the whims of any patron granting him unreliable haven.
These are consequences that nobody reading this would wish for themselves and of a general sort that were surely anticipated before leak one.
He KNEW some bad shit was going to happen to him if he did X.
He did X despite that, for whatever reasons he had.
I don't know if it was right, or heroic or whatever... I don't feel that I know his motives. But it was obviously not cowardice.
I would not have done X because I am too self-interested and cowardly. I would not have given up my life (home, friends, family meaning of one's life) just to educate the public.
I wouldn't. I didn't immolate myself at the Pentagon to protest the Iraq Invasion either, so I don't claim that I "did everything I could do to oppose the war." I opposed the heck out of it, but I didn't do everything.
And I am fairly brave... I know a lot of people more cowardly than myself, and less principled, and more selfish. But I woudn't cross the whole American intelligence aparatus! I wouldn't. I would be afraid to do so, and would know that even if I 'got away with it' I would lose too much.
So the whole "Cowardly Snowden" thing is transparent, to me, as quintessential George W. Bush horse-shit.
Some guy who assumed a great deal of risk, voluntarily, is a coward. Of course.
Keyboard commandos are the real heroes... as always.
= new reply since forum marked as read
The psy-ops brigade's gonna have to tweak their talking points...