<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><item><author>nostromo</author><text>I find Hillary&amp;#x27;s actions to be worse, personally.&lt;p&gt;Hillary&amp;#x27;s actions very likely gave secret information to America&amp;#x27;s enemies.  Snowden&amp;#x27;s actions gave secret information to the public.&lt;p&gt;Hillary&amp;#x27;s intentions were to circumvent FOIA rules and break the law.  Snowden&amp;#x27;s intentions were to be end unconstitutional spying and uphold the law.</text></item><item><author>philwelch</author><text>Hillary stored classified information on a privately owned email server. Snowden collected a cache of classified documents and gave them to foreign journalists. There&amp;#x27;s really no comparison between the two. One is an instance of careless information security by someone who found the official systems inconvenient to use and the other is deliberately disclosing classified information.</text></item><item><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></item></parent_chain><comment><author>snowwrestler</author><text>When I think about Hillary&amp;#x27;s email server, which could have been hacked, I think of the State Department&amp;#x27;s email system, which we know was hacked, thoroughly, by the Russians.&lt;p&gt;If incompetence in operating unclassfied email systems on behalf of the State Department was a crime, it seems like some State IT folks would be going to jail too.&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; Hillary&amp;#x27;s intentions were to circumvent FOIA rules and break the law.&lt;p&gt;One of the major findings of the FBI investigation was that she did not have criminal intent. In fact this was a major reason they recommended against prosecution.</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><item><author>nostromo</author><text>I find Hillary&amp;#x27;s actions to be worse, personally.&lt;p&gt;Hillary&amp;#x27;s actions very likely gave secret information to America&amp;#x27;s enemies.  Snowden&amp;#x27;s actions gave secret information to the public.&lt;p&gt;Hillary&amp;#x27;s intentions were to circumvent FOIA rules and break the law.  Snowden&amp;#x27;s intentions were to be end unconstitutional spying and uphold the law.</text></item><item><author>philwelch</author><text>Hillary stored classified information on a privately owned email server. Snowden collected a cache of classified documents and gave them to foreign journalists. There&amp;#x27;s really no comparison between the two. One is an instance of careless information security by someone who found the official systems inconvenient to use and the other is deliberately disclosing classified information.</text></item><item><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></item></parent_chain><comment><author>sintaxi</author><text>I agree but I will correct you in that Snowden made it clear many times his intentions were for the public to know and have a conversation about the mass surveillance not that it should necessarily stop.</text></comment>