[thuytien308]

18 Facts about Edward Snowden - an former NSA and CIA employee . In 2013, he revealed a shocking information to the world about revealed numerous global surveillance programs, many run by the NSA and the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and European governments.

[KlassWar]

Both. He betrayed the right-wing regime in order to inform the public of its crimes and abuses.

[Redneck]

Now, you see, that's a tricky question. You see, I don't trust the government. I think the gov will do anything it can to control the masses. They were collecting meta data that they stated would help them keep an eye on terrorists. Yet they weren't able to stop the recent spate of terror attacks. Even though the terrorists were on their radar.

On the other hand, the gov does have the responsibility of keeping us safe. It's a tough call but I would air on the side of freedom and say he was more hero than villain.

[Nonsense]

I would second the opinion that he is a 'hero'.

The oft quoted "'sacrifice' a little bit of 'freedom' for a little more 'security' " , is a false dichotomy.

When you have an overbearing state prying into the most private areas of our lives by collecting unlimited personal data on a global basis,storing,processing, misusing that data for it's own ends` or purloining it for commercial interest,then it's time for people to question whether they have either 'freedom' or 'security'.

Not only that, what is the nature of the 'democracy' that they live in, when there is not just an overbearing state, but,a state that treats private personal data, as a 'commercial' commodity that is tradeable with businesses that are in an incestuous relationship with politicians ,who are elected to represent 'people'.

Business should have no direct\indirect links with government or politicians,government should have an information department which business or people can access, 'Lobbying' has no place in a proper 'democracy'.

[Godstud]

Hero.

He let a public know about the illegal activities of the government that is supposed to be protecting their people.

If a country is defined by the people who live in it, he was not a traitor.

As treason is defined by :
the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family

or

the crime of trying to overthrow your country's government or of helping your country's enemies during war

or

the crime of trying to overthrow your country's government or of helping your country's enemies during war

Then no, I do not think he is guilty of treason(and therefore not a traitor) for informing the people of what their government is doing. He was not trying to overthrow the government, or even undermine it.