A matter of trust, betrayed

The news is full of speculation as to the whereabouts of one Mr. Snowden, who apparently makes no bones about having stolen classified materials through his position as a contractor for the National Security Agency and the CIA, materials he then passed on to the Guardian, a British paper.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way – the information thus revealed has opened the door to a discussion of some things the government has apparently done that don’t make me particularly happy. Snowden has been quoted as saying his purpose was to “…inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them. “  But his actions appear to reveal quite another motive.

Snowden is reveling in the limelight and globe-hopping from one anti-U.S. regime to another, thumbing his nose at U.S. attempts to bring him back for arrest and trial. His supporters have set him up on a pedestal, as though he’s some sort of hero.

He’s not a hero. He’s not even an honest guy. I’ve held a high level security clearance and I promise you that in the process of securing that clearance, this guy was well schooled in what it meant to be entrusted with this designation and then promised never to reveal classified information under penalty of prosecution.

Any sovereign nation has to be able to trust its operatives not to reveal state secrets. And every nation has some secrets that it doesn’t want its own citizens to uncover. I celebrate when our government is caught out in lies and forced to face the music. But that doesn’t make Snowden and the creeps who provide confidential information to WikiLeaks and their ilk heroic. What they are is liars and cheats and traitors.

And they need to be prosecuted.