I Spy? You Spy?

Is there anything more confusing, less understandable and more irritating than the NSA leaking sandal, or the contemps and characterizations surrounding the travels and would-be travels and status of the leaker Edward Snowden?

Snowden is being both pilloried (by the government and elected officials) and praised (by some in the media) and helped (by Wiki Leaks, the wholesale leakers of secret information), and fussed over by the world and by potential (and reluctant) asylum givers.

Many Americans don’t know exactly what to make of it all—the words traitor and hero regards Snowden seem to be used interchangeably. His travels have put international relations among major powers in a state of tense stasis
Now Vladimir Putin has Snowden on his hands in Moscow, and he seems hesitant to let him go or let him stay, send him on his way or protect him.

This seems to me momentously serious stuff, but in terms of understanding, a little like trying to hang on to jello. Secrets, freedom of the press, (including the freedom to perhaps cool it for a while), the dark spectre of governments spying on each other (as if they didn’t before) are all part of the stories. It seems like a muddle from which we, and for sure the Obama administration will never disengage itself. I spy, you spy, we spy, they spy, but does anybody really know (or want to know) what Everybody is doing?