A Game of Chess

Edward Snowden seems bent on becoming our worst nightmare, and Russia is playing a game of chess with the U.S. that could have dire consequences for Snowden and our relations with the world.  They have boxed him into a corner and seem determined to keep him there, extracting as much as they can from him in the process and thus thumbing their noses at the U.S.  Those Soviets are pretty clever, aren't they?  Sure they are.  And they're getting away with it too due to the feeble response of the U.S. who should be demanding in no uncertain terms (and applying all kinds of pressures) so that this tortured idealist be returned to the U.S. immediately to face charges before he does any more damage.  Instead we're playing a passive game of chess with the Soviets who are master players themselves and the loser will ultimately be Snowden who already looks different and seems to be slowly becoming unhinged in his self induced prison.  I saw that pathetic news conference with human rights in Russia and he was laughing inappropriately and acting like he was having a very good time when nothing could be farther from the truth.  He's trapped by his own stupidity and he knows it.  The awful realization that he threw away his life for a principle must be starting to gnaw at him.  He must also be beginning to see very clearly how corrupted the other countries he sought refuse in really are, starting with China and Russia, to say nothing of Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia.  Yes Ed Snowden, you blew your life for nothing.  The perfect world you're seeking does not exist, but in your haste to do something, you failed to see that imperfect or not we still live in the greatest country in the world.