Reply
Tue 11 Jun, 2013 09:58 am
Just wondering.
New identity, rural district in nowhere-land, not passing border and airport controls ...
I don't think Hongkong/China to be the best idea, but it might work.
For a couple of weeks.
@dalehileman,
I'm with dale on this. I don't know what s.o. is an abbreviation for either.
@Walter Hinteler,
Walt does it mean "someone"
@dalehileman,
Yeah, or Significant Other, or something
Don't know what s.o. refers to, but the content of his post tells me he's talking about Edward Snowden, the guy who ran to Hong Kong after exposing details about the US patriot act that people had ignored/forgotten about.
To answer Walter's question, it won't be very easy for him when he sticks out like a sore thumb, being a white guy in Hong Kong.
@Butrflynet,
As I understand it, Snowden wasn't actually traced to Hong Kong by any US authorities. He 'outed' himself by making it public that he was the whistle blower and made no attempt to conceal where it was he's posting from. He has, apparently, asked the Icelandic Ambassador to China about the possibility of seeking political asylum there. It has been reported that the Icelanders are very sympathetic to Snowden and his actions but he's been told that under Icelandic law he cannot be granted asylum while he is in Hong Kong. He must set foot on that island in the Northern Atlantic and then make his plea to the proper authorities.
When you press dangerous buttons, dangerous things happen quickly.
He is likely dead.
@Butrflynet,
My bad - s.o. really should mean "someone"
@Walter Hinteler,
In the case of Snowden, his best option is probably to strike a deal with a foreign spy service and let them protect and hide him.
@Olivier5,
Quote:
In the case of Snowden, his best option is probably to strike a deal with a foreign spy service and let them protect and hide him.
Hey, 05. I heard on the MSNBC's Chris Hays program that Snowden had a couple of options open to protect himself if it got too bad; he could negotiate with the Chinese for protection...the Chinese are just dying to get their hands on some US classified material. Snowden said he knows the US to be the most powerful entity on earth and their will be those out to get him so he will possibly give away classified info for sanctuary.
@Moment-in-Time,
Quote:Hey, 05. I heard on the MSNBC's Chris Hays program that Snowden had a couple of options open to protect himself if it got too bad; he could negotiate with the Chinese for protection...the Chinese are just dying to get their hands on some US classified material. Snowden said he knows the US to be the most powerful entity on earth and their will be those out to get him so he will possibly give away classified info for sanctuary.
Hey MIT. Not the Chinese, puh-lease... But I guess from Hong Kong, the choices are limitted.
@Olivier5,
Quote:
Hey MIT. Not the Chinese, puh-lease... But I guess from Hong Kong, the choices are limitted.
Even though Hong Kong is autonomous the Chinese has the final say over extradition from Hong Kong back to the US....after all Hong Kong is Chinese territory. So it would more in Snowden's interest to negotiate with the Chinese.
@Moment-in-Time,
Doesn't this imply his intent was to damage the US, though? I'm not so sure it was.
@Butrflynet,
You will, apparently, be surprised to learn that there are certainly enough "white guys" (and girls) roaming the streets of Hong Kong to prevent one
white guy from
sticking out like any sort of thumb, sore or otherwise.
Snowden is hardly a sophisticated espionage operative.
Fleeing to Hong Kong was stupid, unless he is working a deal with mainland China (no reason to expect so though).
He was in Hawaii, he had money and so he flew to (relatively nearby) Hong Kong to stay in a luxury hotel with the ignorant expectation that there wasn't an extradition treaty.
Clearly he didn't give his escape a whole lot of thought (unless, again, he intends to cut a deal with the Chinese). There are many other places he could have more safely escaped to, but perhaps they don't have luxury hotels.
Word is now that he has checked out, but if the Chinese want him, I doubt he can elude them.
@roger,
roger wrote:
Doesn't this imply his intent was to damage the US, though? I'm not so sure it was.
I don't think it was either, roger. I don't consider Snowden a traitor in any sense of the word. He spoke truth to power and is now looking for sanctuary in a neutral country, e.g. Iceland. I can't see him accepting permanent asylum from the Chinese.
@Lustig Andrei,
If he is still in Hong Kong, I doubt he will have much of a choice about accepting asylum from the Chinese.
Another romantic idiot.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace