Snowden is now in Moscow, with a final destination of who knows where. He's avoiding arrest, which many think is deplorable, but without the entire picture, it's damn near impossible to know his complete motivation.
Snowden took and oath, according to what I've read, to protect the Constitution of the United States of America. That's a serious oath, especially if you've read the document. The requirements that prevent government from violating rights are not in some foreign language and easily understood.
Since he was involved with espionage, Snowden probably took an oath of secrecy, also. That's another serious oath. It prevents the release of classified information, which can endanger the safety of the United States.
Now, since Snowden decided one oath was more important than the other oath, he's running from what he perceives as a government lynching. He spilled the beans and the government is mad. To make things worse, the government admitted illegal activities, refuses to get rid of the bad apples and we're supposed to automatically assume they're operating with justice as their guide.
Personally, I find the entire mess unsettling. On one hand, I find Snowden's methods clumsy. While I don't know how else he could have exposed the criminal activities, his method leads to posturing that won't end well for anyone involved. On the other, I admire his bravery and wonder if he'd exhausted all resources for stopping illegal activities and decided he had no other option.
Here's the clincher: We'll probably never know the entire story. Snowden will be silenced, one way or the other. That's bad, but good may come from his efforts. Some serious problems with our government are now exposed. Hopefully, things will change for the better over time.
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