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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Snowden Prism
Now, in practice, there are a million shades of grey. You can support your government but see its various shortcomings and even evil things it does. And as I said at the outset, this is where leaks play a critical, though ambiguous role, as a safety valve. But it comes down to this essential thing: is the aim and/or effect of the leak to correct an abuse or simply to blow the whole thing up?
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Snowden is doing more than triggering a debate. I think its clear hes trying to upend, damage - choose your verb - the US intelligence apparatus and policieis he opposes. The fact that what hes doing is against the law speaks for itself. I dont think anyone doubts that narrow point. But hes not just opening the thing up for debate. Hes taking it upon himself to make certain things no longer possible, or much harder to do. To me thats a betrayal. I think its easy to exaggerate how much damage these disclosures cause. But I dont buy that there are no consequences. And it goes to the point I was making in an earlier post. Who gets to decide? The totality of the officeholders whove been elected democratically - for better or worse - to make these decisions? Or Edward Snowden, some young guy Ive never heard of before who espouses a political philosophy I dont agree with and is now seeking refuge abroad for breaking the law?
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Speaking for myself, the kind of balancing Im describing is critical. But for a lot of people, again, theres really nothing to balance since transparency is always better or because change is so necessary that spilling the beans has to be a good thing. That just doesnt fit with my way of looking at these things. Thats why Im taking this story as it unfolds. And Im very skeptical of the notion that what Snowden did is awesome just because leaking state secrets is always a heroic act.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/06/like_the_oj_simpson_trial.php?ref=fpblg
flamingdem
(39,336 posts)and he certainly didn't need to compromise US security interests to such and extent around the world along the way.
GeorgeGist
(25,326 posts)are analyzing National Security data?
Whisp
(24,096 posts)probably yes.
freelance stuff for themselves or are they commited to only doing gov work?
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)nt
OilemFirchen
(7,143 posts)By reinforcing their belief that government is the enemy, he's also converted some on the left. A prevailing refrain is that, though acting within the law and specifically under the purview of the three branches of government, the intelligence community, by their nature, are liars. Thus, everything you know about them is the exact opposite of the truth. They aren't collecting and encrypting simple numbers, they're listening in on every phone call, reading every email, poring over every social media entry. And their goal isn't to keep the public safe, it's to entrap innocent citizens. Moreso, the President, the Attorney General, and many members of Congress and the Judiciary are big government-enablers - ergo, enemies of the people.
He also created a scenario whereby everyone must be a binarian. You cannot simultaneously believe that the government has overreached and that the government works for the public's best interest. You must pick sides. You cannot agree that the law is imperfect while arguing that the law is our foundation, and that adherence to it is our obligation. You must believe that those with whom you disagree are your enemies.
It may not be ratfucking, this particular "scandal", but it might as well be.