Snowden Nobel Peace Prize

SPC Christopher Smith — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:19:05 -0500

<p>This thread has gone way off course, so I am re-addressing the wording, making this thread as neutral as possible. I hope this can engage open conversation, and less of an hostile environment. </p><p> </p><p>What are your views on Edward Snowden being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize? Other candiates in high regard are the Pope, and Putin. This year a record 278 people have been nominated, so it is no ones easy grab this year, outside looking in.</p>

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 30 at 2014 6:27 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 06:27:21 -0500

<p>I think he should be shot in the groin region.  To bad Alfred Nobel is not around to personally present this dubious honor.  But if you look at the criteria that Mr. Nobel placed in his will Edward Snowden does meet it.</p><p> </p><p>According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who in the preceding year "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."  </p><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/AlfredNobel_adjusted.jpg/170px-AlfredNobel_adjusted.jpg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_peace_prize" target="_blank">Nobel Peace Prize - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">The Nobel Peace Prize (Norwegian and Swedish: Nobels fredspris) is one of the five Nobel Prizes created by the Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the ...</div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>

Response by CW2 Joseph Evans made Jan 30 at 2014 2:42 PM

CW2 Joseph Evans — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 14:42:52 -0500

He got nominated on the PR surrounding his antics.

If the world knew why he cut and run (and I doubt it has anything to do with anything but self-preservation), they'd have shot any plane carrying him out of the air.

Response by CPT Johnny Passyn made Jan 30 at 2014 6:55 PM

CPT Johnny Passyn — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 18:55:34 -0500

He's a trader.  It should be our policy to treat him just as we would OBL.

Response by CMC Robert Young made Jan 30 at 2014 7:06 PM

CMC Robert Young — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 19:06:00 -0500

<p>A resounding NO! What has he done to promote world peace? He betrayed his country; compromised our ability to gather and use intelligence; instigated contention with our allies, and now he's shacked up with our Cold War foes; people who still don't have our best interest at heart. </p><p><br></p><p>How has anything that he's done improved the geopolitical situation in any corner of the planet?</p>

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 30 at 2014 7:17 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 19:17:03 -0500

Public execution to be put on pay-per-view. Catapult to a brick wall.

Response by CMDCM Gene Treants made Feb 1 at 2014 12:45 AM

CMDCM Gene Treants — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 00:45:55 -0500

Not only no, but Hell no.  However, I am not a Norwegian politician or member of the Committee os my vote does not count. They seem to love giving th ePeace Prize to people who are thorns in the paws to America. <div><br></div><div>Yes, I know they awarded the same thing to President Obama, and I have never fully understood that decision.  Can anyone explain it to me?  I would love to fully understand that one.</div>

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Mar 5 at 2014 9:23 AM

SFC William Swartz Jr — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:23:04 -0500

I think that it is one of the biggest disgraces in the overall history of the Nobel Peace Prize. I think that he is nothing more than a criminal who stole secrets of our state and has done nothing but try to off-load them to whomever he feels would benefit from the information he swiped. Plain and simple to me he is a traitor.

Response by CW2 Kameron Read made Mar 5 at 2014 9:34 AM

CW2 Kameron Read — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:34:08 -0500

There is intelligence oversight provisions in our intelligence law. If you happen to violate or witness a violation of an American's 4th amendment rights there are proper channels to report it. Snowden is not a whistleblower. Espionage is not making this world free or more transparent. Snowden increased his access to steal classified and give it away to foreign governments. There is much more to it than random cellphone data on Americans. Our collection capabilities and weaknesses have been exposed to the wrong people. The damage caused by this will continue for years to come. I just hope it's not to another nation's advantage. So no, I don't think Snowden deserves anything but a conviction.

Response by SGM Matthew Quick made Mar 5 at 2014 9:48 AM

SGM Matthew Quick — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:48:48 -0500

Snowden did the WRONG thing.<br><br>Whistle blowers do not take treasure troves of U.S. secrets to foreign countries.<br><br>If he ever comes back to the U.S., he should be shot on the spot for treason.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2014 9:58 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:58:46 -0500

<font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">

</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Calibri">Moral courage is a hard virtue to spot. Did Snowden shed
light on an issue the American people should have knowledge of? I believe so.
Did he go about it in a way that put citizens in danger and strain American foreign
policy worldwide? Absolutely. The world needs whistleblowers, and there should
be policies in place to protect those individuals. However, the nature
surrounding Snowden's conduct and the way he went about highlighting privacy
infractions was not in line with our own values and ultimately put American
lives in danger. I want to believe that his original intent was well natured
and this is a classic case of a good idea with very poor execution. He
shouldn't be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize and should be brought back to
the states for due process, let a jury of his peers decide where fault lies.</font></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">

</font>

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2014 10:05 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:05:37 -0500

SPC Smith, maybe you have heard of a document called a Non-Disclosure Agreement, if not look it up before you get in trouble thinking that you are doing the right thing, BLUF, you don't divulge our secrets to other countries, it's called treason, not doing the right thing

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Mar 5 at 2014 10:14 AM

SGT Ben Keen — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:14:40 -0500

The idea that this criminal would receive any thing other than an orange jump suit is crazy to me.  Not to say what the government was/is doing is any less criminal (that's a whole other topic) but the actions that Snowden took put thousands of lives in danger.  

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2014 10:20 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:20:34 -0500

While Snowden may have had the guts to do what he did, it was in no way an appropriate way to handle his disagreement with how things are done.  From the news I saw and read about the situation, he tried to report serious issues through his chain of command at his contracting company, but it got nowhere.  I can understand how frustrating that must have been, but it doesn't give anyone a free ticket to take highly classified information and share it with foreign governments and/ or the press.  There is always someone else Snowden could have gone to if he felt his complaints with the system were not being addressed.  He could have even escalated it to Congress for resolution instead.  I'm sure there may have been some stuff that needed attention or fixing with certain programs, but it isn't the job of the world press and foreign governments to fix it so they should never have been informed.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2014 10:23 AM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:23:18 -0500

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around why so many people hail people like him and Bradley Manning (yes I used his real name, his Army name. Enough with the Chelsea, already) as heroes. If there are gripes, then there are channels for these complaints. Granted, it may be a long drawn out process, but there is a right way. Does a security clearance not mean anything anymore? It is my understanding that there are certain things I can't speak of, no matter how wrong or right it is. There is a reason things are classified, and to even think of divulging the secrets is appalling. <div><br></div><div>Maybe I grew up in a area where conspiracy theories were abundant, but I'd always assumed that there was phones were never secure. (I also remember certain channels on the police scanner would pick up phone calls on cordless devices). When I first heard what he had to say, instead of outrage, my first thought was "duh"!</div><div><br></div><div>I think SFC Ribalnik said it best, he was happily doing his job until HE snapped. I am all for transparency, yet there are and always will be things that just shouldn't be public knowledge. Those that abuse this information, especially if looking create dissention or a public outrage, in my book, have no place breathing my air. Both of these were done for personal reasons while inciting the masses. Snowden deserves no accolades and I find it disgusting that people even look up to him. He is a traitor and a spy. He brought upon no peace.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2014 10:40 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:40:49 -0500

If you do not have intimate knowledge of this situation then you shouldn't be forming opinions and placing them on social media, especially as a Soldier.  Snowden is a traitor and the farthest you can get from being a person worthy of admiration.  He did a hell of a lot more than blow a damn whistle.  

Response by MSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2014 10:54 AM

MSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:54:36 -0500

<p>I think that the important thing to remember here is that all governments spy.  They spy on each other, they spy on other country's citizens, and yes, they also spy on their own citizens.  It should also be of little surprise to people that governments tend to do things that are outside of normal moral boundaries.  Right and just? Perhaps not.  However, does it serve a greater purpose... absolutely.  Those that live under the illusion that we are in a rainbow fairyland world are completely lost in a delusional dream world.  How about we dismantle the United States spy program, the NSA, the CIA, the ATF, the FBI, and every other government entity that uses unsavory and unpopular methods at some point and see what happens.  Other countries certainly will not do the same for the sake of peace.  </p><p> </p><p>Now, to make things clear, I am not a fan of big government programs, and I'm not a huge fan of restrictions on the lives of private citizens in the name of security.  However, if the government wants to listen to my phone call?  Sure, screw 'em, not like I'm a frigging terrorist.  Those that think that personal security and privacy is being infringed upon need to wake up, as there are a number of other government methods in use to do that.  Most of these are much more effective than what Snowden divulged.  How many of you are on Facebook and put all your problems out there for the world to see?  How many of your families are?  How many of your kids "tag" the location where they are at every second of the day?  Hell even rallypoint shows where I'm at.  If you think that the government is not watching these things, you are disillusioned. Metadata that is collected by intelligence agencies is nothing compared to the open-source information we all publish each and every day.</p><p> </p><p>This guy "blew the whistle" for personal attention and celebrity status, he's a traitor, he broke national security agreements that he made himself.  He is not a hero, and he should never be treated as such.</p>

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2014 10:56 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:56:14 -0500

JOKE!! Really? I find it hard to believe that there isn't people more deserving then these two clowns.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2014 10:57 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:57:59 -0500

When is it the right thing to leak classified info to other countries?

Response by SFC James Baber made Mar 5 at 2014 11:48 AM

SFC James Baber — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 11:48:47 -0500

<p>While I do believe some of what Snowden discovered should have been brought to light for the citizens of the US, he went about it all in the wrong way, the context and methods he used to gather the information and what he did after the fact were not the actions of a whistleblower, but were those of someone with alternative incentives, while I can understand the fear of reprisal and potential of being taken out by our own government black ops that we as military know exist, especially those in the intelligence sectors, he gathered information that had nothing to do with what his initial claims that were being done against US citizens and many of our allies. while I can say what was/is going thru his mind, to me as an outside observer, I would think that he thought of how he could make money and gain celebrity with this information and how to get it out, once he realized the time bomb he was in possession of, he fled to numerous locations seeking protection from a government he now feared repercussions from and prosecution. He is currently buried deep inside Russia, even with opportunities to go to other countries for sanctuary because he knows he will most likely never make it to any of those other countries either alive or before being captured, Russia will keep him alive long enough to utilize the propaganda and information he has provided and once that time passes he will silently disappear since there will be no way to verify that he is still alive and kicking as the Russians will never allow any information or his exact location be known outside of the Kremlin.</p><p><br></p><p>It is amusing to see him alongside of Putin as a nominee, I think it shows that the Nobel committee is going with celebrity and publicity more than actual accomplishments or contributions to the world for their nominations and selection of winners, even the POTUS when he won was not doing anything noteworthy to be nominated or even win, it came down to the fact that he was the 1st African-American President of the US being the prime reason he won, he was a 1st term Senator elected to the WH with no real world experience in politics that became the face of change in US politics which has nothing to do with world peace, but he wins the Nobel Peace prize while being in charge of dual wars across the globe. And the statement that someone else made about him getting us out of those wars is ludicrous, the drawdown in Iraq had been in motion for a few years before Mr. Obama came into office, so he inherited that, and as far as OEF all he did was transfer the troops that were in Iraq over to Afghanistan as he increased the numbers, and 5 years after he took office, he is still trying to come up with a feasible exit strategy in Afghan that won't cause massive US casualties and total collapse of what we have done while there, all the while continuing to pour more money into the money pit it has become via corruption and diversion of where the funds are really needed. So yes the NPP has become a total joke of nomination and winner selection it is more related to winning an Oscar that actually performing in the manner as the guidelines portray the nominee and eventual winner should be.</p>

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2014 2:07 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 14:07:33 -0500

Snowden is a traitor. I like to believe that the people that support him are just either ignorant of what information he actually leaked, or to the fact that it put countless lives in danger.<br>

Response by 1SG Kelly Clifton made Mar 5 at 2014 2:26 PM

1SG Kelly Clifton — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 14:26:39 -0500

<p>SPC Christopher</p><p><br></p><p>I appreciate the fact that you do not serve blindly and that you have courage to execute your rights of free speech. I do however believe that when someone like this boogerhead who was pissed because he got passed over for a pay raise because of the sequester and intentionally knowingly release information that can lead to the deaths of individuals like yourself who wear the uniform of our country and are prepared to go in harms way to defend the value that our president and nation stand for then he is wrong and a danger to us all.</p><p><br></p>

Response by Sgt Matthew O'Donnell made Mar 5 at 2014 3:06 PM

Sgt Matthew O'Donnell — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 15:06:07 -0500

Just the fact that he was a whistleblower makes him a hero in some eyes. Add on the sensitive material and he's a criminal in others eyes. What he did was wrong, to a point. But if this had never happened, what other was of gathering intelligence would be taken. It's terrible how he went about his business, but what is stopping the government from infringing on your 4th amendment right, and sweeping it under the rug. At least now we know whats going on. <br>

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2014 3:28 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 15:28:17 -0500

I think Snowden just confirmed what we already knew. Every country spies on each other that's just the way it is. If he wanted to do good by bringing these issues to light then he should have taken the proper channel to do so. Spilling secrets and then running to the "safety" of a country that has even less freedom and more human rights violations than we do is just beyond stupid to me. As far as the Nobel Peace Prize is concerned, the criteria is "to have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." Snowden didn't do any of the aforementioned. Instead of "working for fraternity between nations" he further divided nations by putting out information that would interfere with trust. No head of state with a brain would think to reduce standing armies if they know we are tracking their every move etc. etc. etc....and to top it off, he ran to our enemies for help regardless of how politicians try to use nice words and PC, China and Russia are not our friends and don't have our nor his best interest in mind.

Response by LCpl Mark Lefler made Mar 5 at 2014 5:02 PM

LCpl Mark Lefler — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 17:02:19 -0500

Nothing snowden did was right or correct or patriotic.. he deserves nothing.. no he deserves to be taken out front and shot in the head to be made an example of. Nothing he did merits a noble prize of any form. Usually I do not post such extreme and graphic views on rallypoint as I do not think its the place for it. Snowden is the exception. He's a traitor and the CIA should take him out.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2014 9:27 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 21:27:41 -0500

Has anyone been executed for espionage in this country since Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were tried, convicted, sentenced to death under the Espionage Act, and executed in Ossining, NY at sundown on June 19, 1953 ?

While I'm old school in my personal sentiments, I believe we jail spies for a few years today.

As far as Nobel Peace Prize, Snowden stirred up a hornets nest, no contribution to peace.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 6 at 2014 12:12 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 00:12:11 -0500

Ed Snowden has little chance of receiving a legitimate Nobel Peace Prize. His actions don't promote 'peace.' Exposure of 'wrongdoing' doesn't promote peace in any way. If someone came along and solved all of Venezuela's and Ukraine's problems in the next week, that guy deserves a peace prize.

Personal view, the guy needs to be tried. The best he could've done is use the 1st Amendment in a state with a good shield law. Or rather, his best case scenario. Of course, he shouldn't have done it anyways...

Response by CMC Robert Young made Mar 6 at 2014 7:52 PM

CMC Robert Young — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:52:51 -0500

Snowden didn't do anything to promote world peace. If anything, his revelations have created much more dissention and disrupted international relations particularly among long standing allies. There were more appropriate ways to deal with the abuses of the system he reportedly witnessed. Leaking secret intelligence information and then fleeing to China wasn't it.

As to Putin, his efforts with Syria were largely hollow talk since the US has rendered itself impotent on the world stage. It required little energy or sincerity, and the resolution in place didn't substantially change the posture of either side. Yes, Syria says it's destroying its weapons, but do we really know?

SPC Smith, I would offer that this is an interesting topic and certainly demonstrates a keen curiosity about world events. Keep thinking out loud. These are the type of tough questions that should be asked. Good catch.

Response by Cpl David Hall made Mar 7 at 2014 1:02 AM

Cpl David Hall — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 01:02:17 -0500

Actually yes he does deserve it for offering proof, not speculation, on what illegal activities the government is doing to its own citizenry, and I also believe that a lot of staff NCO's and officers should be ashamed for not being able to spell TRAITOR correctly. What did he actually betray? How did he actually effect national security in a dubious way? what was actually weakened? Our military strength is still the same, our intelligence is still the same. Our enemies friends enemy is still well aware we are watching and listening. the book 1984 was meant to be a warning not a blueprint and there is absolutely no call to mine data on citizens for no reason with out an actual court order. Those of you who signed up or have PCS's out should be ashamed of yourselves for denouncing this man who actually followed your oath to support and defend the constitution to the united states.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2014 2:38 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 29 May 2014 14:38:06 -0400

SPC Smith,

I am going to actually answer your question rather than debating the merits of what Snowden did. Although the Norwegian Nobel Committee lists no criteria or qualification for the award, other than being nominated by "any person who meets the nomination criteria", an internet search for "qualifications for the Nobel Peace Prize" gives a large number of definitions that fall into the "advanced the cause of peace on a global scale".

I don't see ANY advancement of peace in what Snowden did! Furthermore, as it states on the Nobel Nomination page (http://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/peace/), there is a 50 year secrecy rule on the names of both nominees and their nominators. The fact that Snowden's nomination and the identity of the nominators are already widely known tells me the whole thing is a political publicity stunt.

Nomination and Selection of Peace Prize Laureates

Nobelprize.org, The Official Web Site of the Nobel Prize

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made May 30 at 2014 11:56 AM

COL Vincent Stoneking — Fri, 30 May 2014 11:56:06 -0400

Given the "distinguished" company that have been awarded the NPP in the last two decades, My level of concern is somewhere between who gets the World Cup (I may have played soccer once in middle school) and who takes home the Oscar for best reinforcing sountrack in an animated comedy.

Response by SGT James P. Davidson, MSM made May 31 at 2014 11:30 AM

SGT James P. Davidson, MSM — Sat, 31 May 2014 11:30:51 -0400

My two cents:

I believe the Nobel Peace Prize to be a farce and meaningless any more, so I could care less either way. Obama, for example was awarded it without having done anything to earn it. That is not a sleight on him, as he did not award it to himself. There was and is no reason it should have been awarded to him, however. None. There are hundreds of others who should have had top consideration for actually DOING, or having had done something.

Regarding Edward Snowden's actions:

He may have violated law, however in doing so, he uncovered NUMEROUS law violations being perpetrated on We the People and our allies abroad, never mind our enemies. He definitely deserves positive recognition for exposing 'Big Brother'. But a Nobel Peace Prize? No, I don't believe so. Treasonous? I disagree. He did not steal classified information and turn it over to an enemy embodiment. He turned it over to the media who, in turn, released it to the world. Comes to mind, "If you aren't doing anything wrong, you don't have anything to hide."

IF the information he took and shared was limited SPECIFICALLY to actions surrounding our enemies, I would have a far different opinion, ending with a noose. BUT he did not.

That said, if it is "treason" he should be tried for, and using the definition laid out for "treason", then We the People are officially Enemies of the State, as We the People benefitted from the information he shared openly. Our Allies, then, are also 'enemies'. Our own military is the 'enemy'. Our children. Our parents. Our brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins and neighbors. He exposed the truth, and EVERY oath-keeping service member and Vet should be pissed right the hell off that the CiC and the chain of command and ALL the rest of the related parties were VIOLATING the Constitution, treaties, pacts and agreements, as well as the sovereignty of the individual citizen of the United States of America.

Our White House and Congress, over the last 5 years, have done more to aid and abet our enemies than Edward Snowden has.

Why don't we look for and find treason where it lives...

Response by Capt Dwayne Conyers made Mar 10 at 2018 7:51 PM

Capt Dwayne Conyers — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 19:51:18 -0500

Snowden is a criminal.