A little preface: To say I dislike Edward Snowden and Glen Greenwald is putting my feelings mildly.

I think about the years leading up to this point and it draws out an ire that borders on fury. I was politely asked to write an article covering a facet of this, and I felt that I could not legitimately cover the topic without providing an underlying framework from which to write. However, I also realized that this article cannot be focused on my emotional state regarding that framework or its protagonists. So, as I sit here listening to The Raconteur’s “Salute Your Solution” (below), I will do my best to enlighten the reader, and perhaps come to a bit of closure as objectively as possible.

Let’s start with the protagonists.