An American hero does not end up fleeing to a country like Russia under a leader like Putin. If Snowden had spilled the beans and then turned himself in, I'd respect him much more.
Respecting a person more, for signing his own death warrant?
This is real life, not a crime movie; there is essentially no value in making himself a martyr more than he already did - you're forgetting that he had to leave his family and certain future, for starters.
"American" hero is a very fuzzy concept, especially after his revelations. If the american administration has influence/power over most of the countries in the world, and now also intrusion in their communications, there's little to no place where to hide aside the enemy.
The belief you have to turn yourself in in order to be considered a hero, ignoring all your deeds, is incomprehensible to me. When did "hero" become synonymous with "martyr"? Turning himself in or not, what does it change in what he revealed?
Maybe, but regardless I would prefer he finish "spilling the beans" before he turns himself in. Information is still being released (a slow release is really the only way to keep the issue front and center) and I would hate for that information to stop getting out.
This is real life, not a crime movie; there is essentially no value in making himself a martyr more than he already did - you're forgetting that he had to leave his family and certain future, for starters.
"American" hero is a very fuzzy concept, especially after his revelations. If the american administration has influence/power over most of the countries in the world, and now also intrusion in their communications, there's little to no place where to hide aside the enemy.