<story><title>Spy or whistleblower? Should Obama settle with Snowden?</title><url>http://www.newsweek.com/spy-or-whistleblower-should-obama-settle-snowden-479813</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>abraca</author><text>For me, Hillary being let off changed how I view the Snowden affair. Before Hillary was let off without penalty, I thought that exposing or acting carelessly with classified information was a really big deal, that it seriously put American lives at risk - AND that others were doing a good job keeping that information under wraps, so breaches would be meaningful. Now it seems more like a political game. Hillary put us in more danger than Snowden. Punishing snowden is more about keeping info out of eyes of American public (i.e., Hillary&amp;#x27;s emails still need to be redacted, even though her server was likely hacked and info is almost certainly out there and America&amp;#x27;s ememies have it.) I hope that Hillary skating will set a precedent that will allow more whistleblowers to come forward to the public with information when needed without being penalized. Perhaps whistleblowers might use the strategy of releasing information &amp;#x27;unintentionally&amp;#x27; and then use the Hillary defense.</text></comment>
<story><title>Spy or whistleblower? Should Obama settle with Snowden?</title><url>http://www.newsweek.com/spy-or-whistleblower-should-obama-settle-snowden-479813</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>downandout</author><text>&lt;i&gt;&amp;quot;The federal judge should then sentence Snowden according to prevailing standards for relevant criminal sanctions.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;The problem is that the prevailing standard in the US would be life in prison.  I imagine that eventually Snowden will wind up serving a life sentence in the underground supermax facility in Florence, Colorado whether he comes voluntarily or not - Russia will eventually use him as a bargaining chip in some trade negotiation, and that will be the end of him.  I think it&amp;#x27;s wrong, but that outcome is almost inevitable at some point.&lt;p&gt;Obama will not pardon him, and I don&amp;#x27;t think either of the presumptive presidential nominees are big Snowden fans.  From the government perspective, Snowden did a tremendous amount of damage, and he will eventually pay for that damage with his life.</text></comment>