The unanswered questions that we have about the Snowden Affair are probably a little different than the ones circulating in the head of cybersecurity expert and former fugitive John McAfee, who has written an unsurprisingly strange, paranoid and colorful piece on the topic for International Business Times. An excerpt:

The Russian interviewer also asked me about Snowden: “In your opinion, is Edward Snowden a real character or one invented by the intelligence services?”

And this was my answer

“I doubt everything, even my own senses at times. Is the apparent US government the real US government? Could the real government be a committee of the largest corporate entities who mount this play of democracy to veil the real machinations?

Are the divisions of the world into apparent “countries” even real? Are the apparent divisions within my own country real? Do we really have a tripartite system of government, where the executive, legislative and judicial divisions are, in fact, real divisions? I could go on forever.

As to Edward Snowden, I find the following inconsistencies to be very troubling:

1. He is a man of soft character and limited experience in the difficult and dangerous world into which he so willingly and knowingly thrust himself. I have personally been a fugitive. I have experienced many dangers and difficult situations, and even I with my excellent survival skills would not willingly bring down such wrath upon myself. Why would a man of Snowden’s apparent character do so?

2. He was safe in Hong Kong prior to entering Russia. With no offense to your country, I believe that Snowden was smart enough to know that he could have faded into the back alleys and byways of Hong Kong and, with his talents, have led a thriving existence there. Chinese women are equally as attractive as Russian women and not quite so dangerous. It is cheaper to live in Hong Kong and the weather is better. It is, quite frankly, a colourful place full of opportunity for a clever person. Why did he leave for Russia?

3. I doubt the truth of it all because my only source of information on the subject I have obtained through the world’s press. What truth can there be in it?”•