Erich Mielke (former head of the Stasi) said in an interview not too long before his death that, if they had at least some of the tools they have "today (note: Mielke died in 2000), the GDR would still exist.

Well, Erich, look at the bright side: Your country failed. Yet at least your system of total surveillance and fear survived even you, and is taken to heights that you could not even have dreamed off.

It can well be a government organization, considering that the government is essentially run by the private sector.

Money makes everything legal. Provided you pay the right people.

they stole his head.

OK, ok, lame joke. But at least I'm still ahead. Even my my own one.

Only as long as we still have something to lose. You have to be careful not to take that away, or else it's game over for you.

You cannot win a war against someone who doesn't mind losing it because he CANNOT lose anything.

Until someone snaps and takes the law into his own hands. That's the inherent dangers of an unjust justice system: People losing faith in it.

That is actually very dangerous to the stability of a state.

If we're talking about the number of kicks to the nuts he should receive, we can start talking.

So the general protection fault has to pay almost what, 5% of what he made by selling out his country?

There are actually people who think that helping others is a good idea without trying to score points with an imaginary supernatural CCTV. What about them?

You know, there are people who have that odd idea that helping others is a good idea. Like, say, risking their life because they just might save that of others.

And if they didn't go there, they couldn't have been taken hostage. Great reasoning.

Was the question maybe "Has Snowden done "more to hurt" U.S. national security than help it"?

In this case, even someone who agrees with his actions has to answer yes. He probably did actually hurt national security. But the benefit for the liberty and transparency for every person on the planet, and especially in the US, outweighs that easily.

Screw that survey.

Why the fuck did anyone listen to a playmate, of all the people on this planet, when it comes to advice on a medical subject? Do you go to your doctor for make up tips?

It speaks volumes about the people who fall for that bunk when you consider whose advice they take on what subject.

I'd think that whatever the verdict, I'd at least slap 200 hours of community work in a hospital for terminally ill cancer patients on top of it.

You don't hear a snakeoil peddler admit that their crap is useless any day!

It's almost as rare as a politician admitting being wrong.