It seems as if enough time has passed to examine the question,<p>"Is Snowden a traitor, hero, or something else?"<p>My hope is that this discussion will be based on the facts that we do know and not just opinions.
If you want a discussion based in fact then you wouldn't use the terms "traitor" or "hero". Those are emotion-based terms, unless perhaps you give a specific definition.<p>For example, a traitor, legally speaking, is someone who committed treason, which in the US is defined in '18 U.S. Code § 2381 - Treason' at <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2381" rel="nofollow">https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2381</a> as :<p>> Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.<p>Snowden is not being charged under this law. Instead, he is charged under the Espionage Act of 1917.<p>Thus, he is not a traitor, nor being prosecuted as a traitor.<p>If you want to give your opinion of what 'traitor' means, then feel free. Just bear in mind that you'll be starting with opinions, so what responses you get will also be strongly colored by opinions.<p>The same holds for the term 'hero'. The Wikipedia entry for 'Hero' describes it as:<p>> a person or character who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage or self-sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good.<p>Snowden started from a position of weakness, and displayed self-sacrifice, so it comes down to "for some greater good." This is not possible to judge based on the facts, given that the answer is different depending on where 'the greater good' applies.<p>Was it for the greater good of the NSA? The greater good of the US defense companies? The greater good of the US population? The greater good of the world population? The greater good of enemies of the US?