Hello? You are aware that leaking, a.k.a. treason, is actually illegal :O? Shocking I know. Guessing by the example of all the politicians in the US, who leak everything that politically fits their goal, you were led to believe there's any correlation between what you leak and the legality of it. Hint: there isn't.
You are the one inviting everyone to be a law unto himself. If any would-be-leaker feels the government is doing any wrong doing, he's free to take the law unto himself and release that information to the public along with whatever else fits into his usb key. There are proper channels to handle this, which don't involve betraying your country and breaking one of the most fundamental laws in the country, and the fact the government was acting illegaly doesn't justify breaking the law.
As Doge would say, "Much faith, wow.". I see it more of a mafia organization. You try to speak out within the org? You'll sleep with the fishes, metaphorically speaking.
> If any would-be-leaker feels the government is doing any wrong doing, he's free to [...] release that information
So Snowden is justified in doing what he did?
I never did address the leak of the hacking tools, IMO that is less in the public's interest and the leaker's motive is probably to damage the agency, but to re-use the Mafia comparison, someone who can see clearly what that organization does (rather than just gulp propaganda from Fox News or Russia Today) probably doesn't feel that bad if his actions damage the org/that is what motivates him.
Leaking is not inherently treasonous in the United States. I understand that you don't live here and probably don't understand how we do things; I suggest that you research something we call "whistleblower protection laws."
You are the one inviting everyone to be a law unto himself. If any would-be-leaker feels the government is doing any wrong doing, he's free to take the law unto himself and release that information to the public along with whatever else fits into his usb key. There are proper channels to handle this, which don't involve betraying your country and breaking one of the most fundamental laws in the country, and the fact the government was acting illegaly doesn't justify breaking the law.