Edward Snowden has raised his ugly head again so I must comment on his return to the limelight. He was interviewed by Brian Williams on NBC and came across as not exactly truthful. The most laughable statement was that Russia wasn’t supporting him or paying him. Of course they are. He is living in an apartment, has groceries, probably wine and vodka. Those aren’t simply donated by the kind people of the street. And the government arranges the work he gets. He claims he hasn’t given any documents to the government – he doesn’t have to. They were all copied from his computer. (The Chinese got them first of course during his stopover in Hong Kong.) He also states that he has no relationship with the Russian leaders. Hmmm, yet he did a television talk show with Putin. Nothing happens with Putin without Putin’s approval. He is living in a totalitarian state that has a watch on him 24 hours as day – the kind of thing that he complained the US could do but admitted it didn’t practice on U.S. citizens.

It seems that Snowden believes his line that, “Sometimes you have to break laws to do the moral thing.” I find that interesting. If he really felt the NSA was doing immoral things, a simple leak to the U.S. press would have done just as well and he would have shown the courage of his convictions by staying and taking the heat. He changed his status from a possible “whistleblower” to a traitor in many minds by flying to Hong Kong first – a city that is in another totalitarian state that copies all info off all computers and phones the minute one enters the country.

I have a mind that is always searching for plots and am also highly skeptical. I am convinced this was not a plan he hatched all on his own. His access was amazing and varied and he was not very senior no matter how he tries to make himself sound. I am hoping that before I die the truth will be revealed as to who helped him, when he decided to steal the highly classified documents, how did he pick the way he would release his documents, how far in advance did he make the decision to run, and why did he pick Hong Kong instead of other places that have no other extradition agreements with the U.S. If I were writing the plot, I’d have a girlfriend involved who worked for a foreign service who recruited him and then helped him run when it looked as if he would be caught.

Stay tuned as more details unfold and watch as Snowden tries to negotiate a way home to the U.S. It seems that living in Moscow is not as pleasant as he thought. He said he sleeps better at night because of his moral decision, but I am guessing the day-to-day doldrums of being watched and listened to constantly are beginning to take their toll. I just hope that if a deal is struck, it’s one that guarantees him a long stay in a federal prison.