ipl-logo

Is Edward Snowden A Hero Or A Villain

487 Words2 Pages

Edward Snowden, a former Central Intelligence Agency employee, recently exposed the National Security Agency's program "PRISM" and is now hiding in another country. This outbreak of events spurred a concerning debate between having better security or having more privacy. On one half of the government spectrum lies the supporters of government surveillance, who are convinced that having better security is far more important than having more privacy. Notably, according to the supporters of government surveillance these programs allow the government to stop any form of terrorism before it occurs. Unfortunately, Edward Snowden became a villain that betrayed the country to those who believed in what the National Security Agency was doing. On the other half of …show more content…

Utilizing the concept of consequentialism, an individual could label Snowden as a villain or a hero by understanding not only the benefits of government surveillance, but the costs of government surveillance as well. After weighing the costs and benefits of government surveillance, he or she can decide whether or not Snowden is a hero or a villain. An individual who gains happiness or utilities/services from Edward Snowden's actions would most likely consider him a hero. In contrast, an individual who loses happiness or utilities/services from Edward Snowden's actions would most likely consider him a villain. In essence, the consequentialist viewpoint can not provide enough evidence on the identity of Snowden as a hero or a villain because not everyone is benefited or hurt by government surveillance programs. Ultimately, each individual would be effected by government surveillance programs differently; therefore, depending on the individual, Snowden can be considered either a hero or a

Show More
Related
1418 Words | 6 Pages

According to the BBC, it has become known that the NSA was responsible in the massive surveillance of millions of ordinary Americans through the PRISM progra,, not just those who have suspected links to terrorism. Companies such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo routinely provided a back door for the NSA to tap into their servers and track online communications (Document 1). This article was released about two years after the leaks when the debates over the future of the PATRIOT Act started to intensify. The National Security Agency strong armed these firms into giving up clients’ private data. No one stood in their way because the NSA had the full backing of the blinded Congress.

Read More
894 Words | 4 Pages

Snowden demonstrated the same beliefs as those stated in “Blue’s Ain’t No Mockin Bird.” As Bambara demonstrated through the use of symbolism and metaphor, and as Marlon Brando stated, privacy should not be given to a select few, but rather should be given to

Read More
505 Words | 3 Pages

Through this phenomenon, muckrakers and whistle-blowers have come to the forefront to provide the people with the information that is so often gated away. No other person in the world is more famous for this in recent memory than Edward Snowden. Snowden, former NSA associate, leaked thousands of documents pertaining to the surveillance of American citizens. This broke numerous laws and turned Snowden in a criminal. This transgression was deemed so horrible by the government that he had to flee the United States if he valued his freedom.

Read More
2274 Words | 10 Pages

The recent revelations about the NSA surveillance programme have cause concern and outrage by citizens and politicians across the world. What has been missing, though, is any extended discussion of why the government wants the surveillance and on what basis is it authorised. For many commentators surveillance is wrong and it cannot be justified. Some commentators have argued that surveillance is intrinsic to the nature of government and its ability to deliver the public good.[1] Few, though have looked at the surveillance within a wider context to understand how it developed. A notable exception is the work by Steven Aftergood.

Read More
1452 Words | 6 Pages

This particularly concerns the Fourth Amendment. Epstein delves into the evolving world of surveillance, whistleblowing, and government secrecy from the public. This offers an informative examination of the tension between the government's duty to protect its citizens and the citizens' right to privacy. The book dissects notable events such as the Edward Snowden revelations, shedding light on the constitutional implications of mass surveillance programs and their impact on Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Epstein highlights how the expansion of surveillance capabilities has challenged traditional notions of privacy.

Read More
676 Words | 3 Pages

As Mr. Cusick stated, what Edward Snowden failed to disclose or fail to see was the whole picture. He was not privileged to see how some aspects of information fit with others. With or without this understanding, Snowden painted a grim picture of NSA’s practices regarding the privacy millions of citizens. By doing so, he severely damaged the nations intelligence gathering capability and put the lives of many at

Read More
249 Words | 1 Pages

I don 't think of Edward Snowden as a hero or a traitor. I do think what he did was bad he informed the general public of what the federal government is doing and the people have the right to know. If my best friend 's girlfriend was cheating on him and I told him about it does that make me a traitor? that 's an over simplified comparison but the point is that we as people of the "free world" have the right to know. The federal government should not have the ability to monitor your activity without a warrant without a just cause.

Read More
781 Words | 4 Pages

With Edward Snowden's NSA leaks, this issue was brought into relief. Was he full of moral superiority over a gray issue, or was he "that most awkward and infuriating of creatures-- a man of conscience," as John Cassidy wrote in his article "Why Edward Snowden is a Hero." Because, while Jeffrey Toobin wrote in "Edward Snowden is No Hero" that Snowden's leak was cemented in grandiose narcissism over an issue American citizens should have already digested, wasn't it after his leak that there arose an uproar over the NSA activities, which inevitably placed a modicum of agency back in the hands of the American people? I still wonder whether my perspective would be the same had Snowden released files which did more lasting harm to national security. But in that case, would that activism now be violent, instead of

Read More
1280 Words | 6 Pages

Snowden, who was a computer systems contractor, worked for the National Security Agency and revealed to the public how the American Government was spying on its own citizens and foreigners. Snowden was committed to the truth which allowed him to reason and understand the difference between what is right and what is legal. Snowden was convinced that the truth requires an individual to do the right thing and not necessarily what is legal. However, doing the right thing could sometimes require an individual to break the law.

Read More
997 Words | 4 Pages

Edward Snowden was the person that leaked over 10,000 documents over the internet, some say he was a hero and some say he was a traitor. The one thing we do know is that because of him we know that the government is always watching us just like big Brother. In the book 1984 Big Brother was a party meaning multiple people created him as one character which is similar to the NSA . In the book it is stated “ It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away.

Read More
466 Words | 2 Pages

“Law Enforcement authorities may now conduct secret searches and wiretaps in your home without showing probable cause.” “Eroding Liberties”(“ACLV”). Although secret searches can help our government catch a terrorist it’s a violation of our privacy in many ways. “It revealed NSA has maintained a number of mass-surveillance programmes over its citizens… regardless of whether or not they are persons of interest. ”(Edward Snowden: the true story…).

Read More
1017 Words | 5 Pages

In the case of Edward Snowden and what he did is somewhat controversial. The controversy on this subject is that some think he should be punished for his actions and others think he should be free and have no charges. The people that think he shouldn’t be punished also think that the government is wrong for doing what it was doing. They also think he shouldn’t be punished for exposing something the government is doing that is against the law. Now if a person is in a government agency and is doing things to keep the mass majority safe will see him as a traitor and want him to be punished.

Read More
1033 Words | 5 Pages

Domestic Surveillance? “Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say.” This nugget of wisdom was expressed by Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who is now exiled in Moscow. Two years ago, he dropped a bombshell on the American public and global citizens everywhere.

Read More
1471 Words | 6 Pages

The main issue in the Snowden controversy is the conflicting rights of private individuals and the US government with regard to the use of telecommunications and the internet. There are ethical issues surrounding this controversy and the most applicable ethical approach for this case is “Ethics by Rights Approach”. As a background, the reason why US government had declared Edward Snowden a traitor is his involvement in the leaking of about 1.7 million confidential US documents, 15,000 Australian intelligence files and 58,000 British intelligence files from the National Security Agency (or NSA) to the public. These confidential information were acquired by the NSA through the PRISM program by collaborating with big internet companies such

Read More
1180 Words | 5 Pages

Introduction Abortion remains one of the most controversial topics in politics and culture in the United States. The government, religious groups, women and men, cannot reach an agreement or negotiation on what should be done. The argument being; can the state, religious entities, and citizens have the right to override a woman’s autonomy, and does her right to abort override a potential life’s’ right to life? These two standpoints can be mind spinning, and that is why this paper will argue having two dichotomous standpoints is causing further conflict, with no future agreement in sight. How can the “pro-life” and “pro-choice” debate deepen their understanding of abortion, value the complexity of the issue, and reach a conclusion that will benefit both women and potential babies?

Read More

More about Is Edward Snowden A Hero Or A Villain

Related Topics

Open Document