[laureny]

> BUT, Snowden is the best example that I know of as a person that really values the plan for the US as laid out by the Constitution and who saw first hand an insidious threat to ignoring those principles without the public even being aware. If there's anyone who has earned the right to call himself a true patriot and defender of the Constitution, it's Edward Snowden.

This is naïve at best. At most, he's shown some interest in a tiny portion of the Constitution but his alignment with Russia and his appeal to dictatorships for asylum shows he doesn't value freedom of speech and other values enshrined in the Constitution.

[pgeorgi]

His alignment with Russia consists of being there trying to catch another flight while his passport was revoked by the US administration.

And the appeals for asylum to non-dictatorships (such as most EU countries) fell on deaf ears - nevermind that asylum in "allied" countries probably isn't safe in the first place. Look at Germany: Every spot within ~150 miles from a US controlled military base or embassy, and known to be used as hub for that extra-legal rendition program (where the German government looked the other way even when the US went after a German citizen).

After the US and UK, such countries are certainly the last place I'd try to hide from the US administration if I had to suspect that they're really eager to get me.

He should also plan his route so that he doesn't cross US-allied airspace - see the grounding of the Bolivian president's plane in Europe over suspicions that Snowden might be a passenger.

With all that, we're not talking about alignment but about a lack of options.