I don't want to sound weird or anything, but I like ya even more now Bonzai.
*Cheers*
I think Snowden might have even had a few more factors at the time in play than that even, at the time.
Seemed to work though for him, considering the alternatives.
Snowden may or may not have had more than an average share of God-given talent. But his adolescence and even early college years followed the program of a major f***-up. I think he went to Jr College in Maryland and dropped out. He had developed skills in IT; one or both of his parents had worked for the intelligence agencies (I think -- CIA). This made it easy for him to get in on the ground floor.
The reason CIA can be vulnerable to this kind of nepotistic corruption goes way back in its history. The corollary exposes itself in the need to vet whole families in security clearance. So a 14-year-old who might accidentally see a sheath of papers on a coffee table after daddy returned home for work would have a clearance.
Snowden grabbed onto the orientation of "Libertarian." How much of libertarian writings he had consumed is unknown, but it would be at a level of any casual reader whose time was otherwise occupied in the digital realm. In this respect, he had a Tea Party orientation in his politics. And it's less likely that Snowden's readings in politics and economics were balanced across a spectrum of ideas, belief systems and philosophies.
So the fact that he deliberately imbedded himself in the national security apparatus even as an employee of Booz-Allen-Hamilton seems particularly obnoxious. Contrast his life with that of Daniel Ellsberg -- who had defended Snowden's actions. Ellsberg was a mature man of character. Snowden was a grandstander.
Maybe Snowden had "issues" with a parent. So this brings us back to the "six days that made the monster" in Hitler's life. Just to stay on topic.
I think Snowden was characterized as having a narcissistic streak: roughly 10% of the population has that orientation as a psychological disorder. In that respect, he had something in common with The Fuhrer. Or something in common with the LA-cop-turned-serial-murderer and cop-killer -- Christopher Dorner. Or something in common with a good share of Hollywood celebrities -- or any celebrities. Donald Trump, for instance.
Of course, I myself had been fairly narcissistic most of my working life. By itself, it's not a crime. At most, a justification for some . . . counseling . . .
Okay, I laughed.
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