Sure, but I think the commenter has a point. Let's assume everything works the way it's supposed to. Ideally, when something like this happens it makes perfect sense for the US government to take notice of the fact that a law has been broken, bring charges, and take this to court. If the system continues to work the charges will be contested on the grounds that the action was in the interest of the public and that the leaks document a violation of the constitution. The govt drops the charges, and heads off to repair the completely fucked effects of the patriot act, etc.
So I agree it's naive and even unreasonable to expect the US not to file charges. I also agree that there's plenty of evidence that our justice system fails to operate even close to the way it ought to with respect to cases of this nature so I'd sure as shit get out of town if I was in this situation too.
[edit: Very much agree with replies to this comment suggesting none of this is likely to, or can possibly happen today.. I'm just saying the nature of the machine is to act as if it's not broken, which with respect to our approach to intelligence-related disputes, it obviously is.]
The charges will be contested how? The secret courts and the secret interpretation of the Patriot Act are secret and the State holds them to be State Secrets, and thus you cannot contest the charges, and thus the Constitutionality of the law is never challenged, and thus the law stays on the books, to be fully enforced.
If this is not a definition of corruption, I don't know what is.
Do you mean something else, because even ignoring the stark differences between Manning and Snowden, and the military and civilian courts, Manning's trial, last I heard, had started.
So I agree it's naive and even unreasonable to expect the US not to file charges. I also agree that there's plenty of evidence that our justice system fails to operate even close to the way it ought to with respect to cases of this nature so I'd sure as shit get out of town if I was in this situation too.
[edit: Very much agree with replies to this comment suggesting none of this is likely to, or can possibly happen today.. I'm just saying the nature of the machine is to act as if it's not broken, which with respect to our approach to intelligence-related disputes, it obviously is.]