Edward Snowden: heel or hero?

[Rum]

Heel or hero?

The Merican government is making a hash of this one. PR disaster biggy to me making it look as if their are hunting down a liberty minded upstanding whistle-blower and giving some countries with a worse human rights records a field day in the process.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

If you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear from surveillance.

If the government has done nothing wrong, it has nothing to fear from whistleblowers.

[Tero]

The new Gubment. The not too surprising part was how much surveillance is farmed out to private companies.

If he were Gubment or military, we could shoot him. He broke national security rules. In war, it would happen. War against terror is a new war.

There is nothing showed so far that they could use NSA data to prosecute you in anything but domestic or foreign originated terrorism. They cant arrest you for dope or tax evasion.

[Warren Dew]

Heel or hero?

The Merican government is making a hash of this one. PR disaster biggy to me making it look as if their are hunting down a liberty minded upstanding whistle-blower and giving some countries with a worse human rights records a field day in the process.

Domestic propaganda efforts to make him seem like a traitor seem to be bearing fruit in some quarters, unfortunately.

[klr]

Much as I like to know what governments are getting up to behind my back, I also recognize the need for some things to stay secret. That in turn requires people who can be trusted to keep a secret.

[Rum]

Even if what they are keeping secret is snooping on the general public without them knowing about it?

[Warren Dew]

Even if what they are keeping secret is snooping on the general public without them knowing about it?

How can you have a good police state if the police are willing to talk to the general public?

[klr]

Even if what they are keeping secret is snooping on the general public without them knowing about it?

But where does the disclosure stop? I'm there are things in the information he's made public that will hurt innocent parties. This has already happened with wikileaks.

On a case-by-case basis, some whistle-blowing is impossible to argue against: Take the recent case with the NHS Watchdog cover-up.

But where to draw the line? In my work, I have access to huge amounts of sensitive information. It's just the nature of the work I do. Should I start leaking that data whenever I see something I don't like*? What should be my threshold?

*Which, to be honest, is a lot of the time.

[Ian]

Poll?

[klr]

Poll?

If Rum wants one, he can list his options, and we'll add them.

No cheese or bacon though. This is serious ...

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Poll?

If Rum wants one, he can list his options, and we'll add them.

No cheese or bacon though. This is serious ...

Cheese is serious!

[Ian]

How about a Pie option?

[Rum]

I'm at a loss. On my iPad and can't see how to do a poll from here. Plus am knackered as bed beckons..

I vote hero with some reservations.

[Animavore]

Put in "Who?" as an option and I'll vote

[JimC]

Heel or hero?

The Merican government is making a hash of this one. PR disaster biggy to me making it look as if their are hunting down a liberty minded upstanding whistle-blower and giving some countries with a worse human rights records a field day in the process.

If you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear from surveillance.

If the government has done nothing wrong, it has nothing to fear from whistleblowers.

Agreed on both counts, and it does throw yet another nasty light on a government that many thought would be moving in another direction. Sandinista would be saying that the whole US government acts in this way by virtue of its political nature, always has, and that changes in presidents are merely window dressing. I wouldn't be arguing with him about that as strongly as I may have done in the past.

However, I also take klr's point, that there is the potential for leaks to hurt people in dangerous situations, and that secrets need to be kept in some situations. What I'm not sure of is whether Snowdon's leaks are of this nature. So far, they are simply alerting the world in general of the vast extent of internet and phone based surveillance, always suspected perhaps, but never shown to be this widespread. If that is the extent of his disclosures, he is to be commended, not hunted down by a paranoid US government.