Except you are not trying to spread the message about oppressive internet laws in Russia. Nor are you informing and complaining about Russian freedom. Instead, you are complaining about Snowden not instantly becoming Russia freedom activist and general expert on Russia freedom.
Because if he does not get himself involved in freedom of all countries in the world, then his own message about freedom in country he is actually citizen of does not count. Because he should voluntary spend the rest of his life in small box to prove his is not hypocritical, right?
This is a post about Snowden, so my comments are also about Snowden. Staying on topic is a good thing, right? I made plenty of comments about the censorship in Russia in other threads.
>Instead, you are complaining about Snowden not instantly becoming Russia freedom activist and general expert on Russia freedom.
Oh, I could compare him to actual Russian freedom activists who didn't run away from their country when things got tough, and went to prison for their beliefs. But that comparison would be unfavorable to Snowden. Did anyone in the world care when Russian whistleblower Alexei Navalny got arrested? Was it on Hacker News front page? Oh, and Snowden was around here when that happened. He most certainly knew it happened (it was big news here in Russia). He didn't even say a word about his fellow whistleblower. This is the shit that drives me up a wall.
Are you writing from prison in Russia? If not why haven't you supported Alexei Navalny and criticised Putin until you were arrested and thrown in prison for it? If you consider the reasons why you have not protested enough to be imprisoned in Russia, Snowden's reasons for not speaking out from his vulnerable position are probably very similar.
Also, for the record, he has openly criticised censorship in Russia -
I’ve been totally open about the fact that I disapprove of the majority of the recent laws in Russia on internet censorship and surveillance. I think it’s entirely inappropriate for any government in any country to insert itself into the regulation of a free press.
I understand where you're coming from. The US is the center of the world, while it seems everyone else only exists relative to them. It's a fair criticism, and I'm as guilty as the next person in my biased reading of news.
That said, that's not Snowden fault. Yes, he's an hypocrite, but so what? Are you judging him by the same standard as you judge yourself, or your friends? Or are you blaming him for the indifference of the whole Western population? He's just a guy.
Did anyone in the world care when Russian whistleblower Alexei Navalny got arrested? Was it on Hacker News front page?
Well, you didn't submit it. See my point about measuring others by a different standard? :)
Because if he does not get himself involved in freedom of all countries in the world, then his own message about freedom in country he is actually citizen of does not count. Because he should voluntary spend the rest of his life in small box to prove his is not hypocritical, right?