What is your stance on the actions of Eric Snowden?

[bUU]

Because the whole wide world, at least the major players, is mostly rather totalitarian power blocks (very much including the U.S.).

Mostly? Please list those major players that are non-totalitarian as compared to the United States, in your estimation.

Welcome to the world, 2013 edition.

2013? Please list thos major players of the past that were non-totalitarian as compared to the major players in 2013.

But it's the U.S. he's escaping, so into the arms of another one of those power blocks, that may be worse in some ways sure, but it's not after him.

He hasn't betrayed an obligation he made to them - yet.

Though he might really prefer somewhere in Latin America - remember he's not being allowed to leave!

Let's stick to talking about major players.

To blame him for his choice of Russia when his choices are so constrained is kind nonsensical.

Good point: There's more than enough blame for him stemming from his betrayal of the commitments he made.

His choices are so constained that Amnesty International BEGS the U.S. to allow him to seek asylum (as a basic universal human right).

Amnesty International is assuming that his crime is political. They have a vested interest in taking that biased perspective. The reality is that he simply violated the law, and a law he explicitly promised not to violate. Amnesty International is not a world court. They represent their client like an attorney. They're wrong this time.

He might not face death but I don't doubt he faces life imprisonment.

He faces the punishment that existed for the crime he committed as of when he explicitly promised not to violate that law.

However, yea sure I'm not a lawyer, but it sure seems to me that the legal groundwork for killing whistleblowers has been laid IF they wanted to, even though it hasn't been used.

A ridiculously inflammatory claim that has no basis in fact. I'd believe you more if you claimed that Snowden would actually be safer in a US jail than loose (in Russia or Latin America) where he could be picked off by some covert operative.

The "aiding the enemy" charge is a capital offense, though this of course depends on the prosecution being willing to go there.

I haven't seen much credible arguments that he'll be charged with any such thing - unless of course he's been feeding information to Russia (or China) that we don't know about.