NSA Spying
The article that we were tasked with reading this week was about the revelations that the NSA had tapped many phone calls, including those of 35 World Leaders. These startling allegations came to light when whistle blower Edward Snowden leaked classified documents.
There are many mixed emotions regarding Edward Snowden. Some people believe that he is another Benedict Arnold, and he should suffer the consequences for his traitorous actions. In my opinion, I do not believe that what Snowden did was all bad. Yes, he should not have leaked classified documents. However, he did expose a program that was not legal and needed to be exposed before it expanded even further. So, in the end I am thankful that Snowden exposed this outrageous governmental spying program but he should have gone about it a different way, maybe through Congressional hearings?
I also find it ironic that President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize because of his ability to get along with foreign leaders, and now he has angered many of those same leaders because of this horrible violation of privacy that was orchestrated by his administration.
It does seem that Snowden is a more complicated figure than most people are willing to acknowledge. I wonder, though, if there is any way to set a legal or clear limit to whistle blowing on national security issues. It seems like this is one area where we accept little to no oversight of any kind. Is there a way to formally allow some level of whistleblowing, or will it bee relegated to the those willing to flee and live in a legal no-man's-land like Snowden?
ReplyDeleteI personally think that Snowden did the right thing. However I personally feel that he should have stayed and stood for what he did. It is one thing to go out and leak the documents with the belief that it was for the greater good, but when he's not willing to face the consequences of what he did the it seems that he doubts himself. I mean if he truly believed he was doing the right thing, then he should have been able to take whatever came from it and not just runaway from his own belief.
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