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Comment by CoreSet | Hacker News Reader

I don't understand how he ever believes he could get a fair trial. I commend him for the belief in the rule of law that the sentiment represents, but he embarrassed the world's most powerful intelligence establishment - you know, the people responsible for killing people who want to kill us in secretive ways.

There's nothing I'd consider out of bounds for possible retaliation, not even a "heart attack" or "engine problems."

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Even at the height of U.S. paranoia during the Cold War, the guy who tried to assassinate the President got a fair trial, and was acquitted by reason of insanity. In fact, he's regularly let out to visit his mother in her home, up to 17 days at a time: http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/20/us/john-hinckley-jr-fast-facts.

There has been a huge cultural shift in the US between then and now. If Hinckley were tried now, he probably would get the death penalty.

A shift in what direction? Use of the death penalty has decreased dramatically since the 1980's.

He could get a fair trial in the U.S. for the same reason he's safe in Russia: because the whole world is watching (e.g. in the Reddit AMA he said: "If I show up with broken fingers, everybody will know what happened"). That's not a guarantee, but it does a lot for him. It's a lot harder to "disappear" a public figure.

But lets say he does show up with broken fingers, what then? Nothing can, or will, be done about it so if anything it just adds to the NSA's overarching goal of turning him into an example.

If the whole leak showed something, than that the Agencies just continue to work as they did. No matter what.

Accidents happen.

From a government apparatus that's blithely accepting of "parallel construction", and given such a high profile "enemy of the state", he could easily be done away with and the truth mis-reported across all major networks.

I say this as someone who others might declare as a "card carrying liberal" - the current administration and the US intelligence community as a whole are anything but sympathetic towards Snowden.

There must be another reason why this is being floated.

not even a "heart attack" or "engine problems."

At this point, what would anyone gain from that?

There is this idea that some people just have to retaliate, regardless of whether it is in their interest.

They have to show they're still in the game - more important than near objectives in the said game.

This may or may not apply to the situation.

Revenge.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/bennyjohnson/americas-spies-want-edw...

“I would love to put a bullet in his head,” one Pentagon official, a former special forces officer, said bluntly. “I do not take pleasure in taking another human beings life, having to do it in uniform, but he is single-handedly the greatest traitor in American history.”

Chilling

Also love how they are completely ignoring the people who have literally assassinated a president.

Haha, I was wondering where the downvote came from.

Flag away, good sir. I'm more than happy to disagree with you.

I don't think anyone would gain - certainly I think the debate would suffer - and it would be even further evidence that the NSA et al are above the law. It would be a huge scandal, maybe even lead to the restructuring of the American intelligence establishment itself.

But I don't think it's impossible. He's done more damage to one of the most powerful organizations in the world than anyone in modern history. Spooks are vindictive types.

Deterrence. They don't want any more Snowdens.

Making an example of him for other prospective whistleblowers.

This is sort of ironic considering that a leading opposition politician in Russia was gunned down within yards of the Kremlin a few days ago.

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