There's a reason for that; it's not that they hate America (though I'm sure some do), it's because the violations he exposed were terrible injustice — the "other side" likes to conflate things using the basic-idea/faulty-logic that to discriminate is bad, so to be indiscriminate is good. (Hour long vid explanation.)
But there's something good there that's being co-opted: a desire for Justice. (Satan tries to turn what is good to evil purposes.)
In the article John Boyd’s Roll Call: Do You Want to Be Someone or Do Something?
[direct link], Col. Boyd phrased things this way:
“Tiger, one day you will come to a fork in the road: And you’re going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go.”Snowden chose to do something.
He raised his hand and pointed. “If you go that way you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and you will get good assignments.”
Then Boyd raised his other hand and pointed another direction. “Or you can go that way and you can do something — something for your country and for your Air Force and for yourself. If you decide you want to do something, you may not get promoted and you may not get the good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won’t have to compromise yourself. You will be true to your friends and to yourself. And your work might make a difference. To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you will have to make a decision. To be or to do? Which way will you go?”
I so agree. Can’t make myself see Snowden as anything but a whistle blower for the sake of the American people, willing to pay a terrible price— maybe the ultimate one before this ends.
As for his escape to Russia, why not Russia? Putin at this time is more alligned with the American *right* than Obama ever was, and has the same contempt. Who else offered to accomodate Snowden, big enough to make Obama back off?
As for the “secrets”, Snowden already distributed them to reporters in London.
Where would we be without Snowden.?