[jasonkolb]

Exactly. This is the modern-day equivalent of a public crucifixion: a warning that you never, ever want to do something like this yourself.

What's interesting--and a little disconcerting IMO--is that the public opinion of Snowden seems generally favorable. So the US .gov needs to attack him publicly while not making it TOO public because it is not generally a healthy thing for a government to move in opposition to its people. That's how "unrest" starts. Probably not with Snowden, but if it's the beginning of a trend... look out.