What do I think of Snowden?
I suppose the bottom line is that I do not know enough about his actions to make a value judgement on the issue.
I’m not sure that the guy is a spy in the usual sense of the word though, as, the way I understand it, he’s mostly been telling the world what the US (and other) Governments have been doing with regard to people’s private data, rather than passing secret information to some enemy.
Two thoughts though.
1. I am not surprised at ANY of his revelations. I suspect that most Governments have been spying on their citizens since time began. The electronic data trail we leave behind us, and the tools available to examine this trail, has simply made it easier for anyone to spy on us.
2. I don’t, for one minute, believe any of the US or UK politicians or intelligence service leaders that protest loudly that they are tightly regulated by the judiciary, and that they abide by those regulations. I believe that the intelligence services simply go and get whatever information they want when they want it. Period.