Some interesting findings from Pew Research on the National Security Agency spying and leak scandal...
First, more Americans think Edward Snowden's leaks have served the public interest than hurt the public interest. But, most Americans still want Snowden thrown in jail.
Second, young people are more pro-Snowden and anti-government than older people.
Young people (18-29) think Snowden's leaks are in the public interest, and they don't want him prosecuted. They also don't like the NSA's data collection. Older people, meanwhile (50-64), think Snowden should be tossed in the slammer and are okay with the NSA collecting data. The 30-49 year olds, meanwhile, are somewhere in the middle.
Is this because young people are naive and idealistic and older people are wiser and more mature? Or because younger people want to improve the world and older people are defending the world they have created and are responsible for? (You be the judge!)
Meanwhile, in a poll that suggests that politics has much more to do with team loyalty than positions on issues (at least this issue), support for the NSA's spying has flip-flopped by party since 7 years ago.
Tea-party Republicans used to love spying, back when a Republican President was doing it. Democrats, meanwhile, were opposed.
Now, Tea Party Republicans hate spying. And Democrats love it.