What is a traitor/treason?

[cynatnite]

It seems like these words get thrown about rather easily here on DU.

One person's traitor is another's hero for standing up against the government. While it may be treason to some, it's something different to someone else.

We can argue that Snowden and Manning are traitors or that they committed treason, but I think those words don't have the same meaning to everyone.

How do you view them? What is treason and what is a traitor?

[hrmjustin]

1. Treason is giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

Giving up state secrets to a foreign power is treason.

[longship]

2. In the USA, treason has a specific legal definition.

It's in Article III of the Constitution:

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

So casually flinging the word "treason" about is not a very good idea.

Of course, that's why the authors of the Constitution bothered to include it in the first place, so the very serious charge of treason could not be politically abused.

[Initech]

3. I think it should expand to what the Koch brothers are doing.

They are literally electing and turning the most corrupt, vile politicians (Rand Paul, Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, Ted Cruz, etc) against the American people, so they can continue to add to their billions at the expense of our government resources. They declared war on the American people and they're winning with every vile politician they can buy off, wouldn't you consider that treason?

[longship]

4. That would take an Amendment.

Which the USA has only done it 27 times.

Thank goodness! Political opposition isn't treason in the USA and remains a serious charge, not a political tool.

Again, that's why the definition is in there to begin with.

[Nye Bevan]

5. No. That's not treason. That's "politics". (nt)

[Tx4obama]

7. And...

-snip-

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

However, Congress has, at times, passed statutes creating related offenses that punish conduct which undermines the government or the national security, such as sedition in the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts, or espionage and sedition in the 1917 Espionage Act, which do not require the testimony of two witnesses and have a much broader definition than Article Three treason. For example, some well-known spies have been convicted of espionage rather than treason.

-snip-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason#United_States

[longship]

8. Yes, a particularly black period in our history.

The Alien and Sedition Acts

[Tx4obama]

6. The 'United States/Federal' section on the below link has some good info

Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason#United_States

[Tx4obama]

9. Espionage

Espionage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espionage

The Law: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espionage#Law

[cynatnite]

10. I know how to google...

I'm asking the question to get other DUer's idea of what being a traitor and what treason means. It gets thrown around DU a lot without much thought.

[catnhatnh]

11. I like the OP

If you SAY treason then you must identify China as an "enemy". So Sorry-trading partner/rival/competitor yes, but actual declared enemy of the US? I can think of no declared hostilities in the last 150 years and I recall none in US history.