2) In this scenario, the American People would be the FBI, and the criminal conspirators would be the NSA and Snowden is Sabu. I can think of very few more noble activities than exposing the fraud of a working government to the very people who have a chance at changing it via the power of a democratic society.
It's ridiculous to even compare the scenarios, as the motives between the two are so different, and I hope anyone can see that. Look at the audiences at least. Sabu has gained personally from every single decision he has made; whether it was for his own agenda or for the FBI's after he was caught. What has Snowden achieved for himself?
Sabu was caught and played ball, Snowden acted on moral grounds. Russia is simply the only nation willing to anger the US and deter "payback", hence his only choice.
Failing that, there's the people in a certain country whom Greenwald himself claimed would be put directly at risk if that country name were to be revealed. But WikiLeaks leaked it anyways.... which is directly attributable to Snowden.
But that's the beautiful things about things like what he does. It's like coal polluting the air... we know it kills people in the abstract, but you can't point to a slouched-over body directly attributable to any given lump of coal.
