Thanks for this.

Yeah, not meant as sneering -- just a note that some things are "redundant syntax".

Note that they may just appear that way because you don't get the joke or don't find it funny.

Sounds like sneering to me, but maybe I just don't find it funny.

For dummies: Using the same expression in different contexts, even in the same paragraph, is useful and acceptable.

'Haha' is a literary representation of laughter. It's an expression of the effect of laughter. The article you posted separates effect from cause, splitting the possible jokes in half. This makes things awkward, unsurprisingly. It's foolish and probably misinformed sneering.

Things can even get more complicated! You would be amazed: The more 'ha's, the more laughter. An easy example why this is not redundancy is in the difference between the half-hearted 'ha' and the more genuine 'haha' and the hyperloaded 'hahaha'.

Good luck out there!

Not at all. This is a myth.

Show me in their financials where they are hiding their massive profit.

Democracies can choose not to trade with dictatorship.

True. However, the parties currently in government when that decision is made would prefer not to be voted out of power due to economic pressures.

Why the little story at the beginning? Annoying and silly.

Massive until you look at how people are treated when someone leaks company data: 4% income fine? No. Prison.

No one goes to prison for accidentally leaking company data through negligence.

We could "fix" that.

No irony there.

The article clearly implies that Snowden's actions were "theft"

Which they were. Also, espionage. Also, treason.

And — also — not whistleblowing, because nothing he has alleged is illegal.

> nothing he has alleged is illegal.

At least one surveillance program revealed by Snowden has been challenged in US courts and found to be illegal, whether any others revealed were illegal remains a disputed point.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/07/politics/nsa-telephone-metadat...

> nothing ... is illegal

A federal court disagreed to that in 2015 [PDF]:

http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/nlj/NSA_ca2_20150507.pdf