As some of you may have heard, a leak of information stating that the call records and possible other digital communications of us American citizens has been sold to Uncle Sam. Communications conglomerates such as Verizon and AT&T have been named as culprits.
By providing info to the government, theses companies were called upon in the aiding of looking for “terrorists and terroristic activities” by sending data to the National Security Agency or NSA for short. What you may not know is a 29-year-old, former CIA worker, Edward Snowden has recently admitted to being the one to leak this information to us average citizens.
“I can’t in good conscience allow the U.S. government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they’re secretly building,” Edward Snowden told the Guardian in an interview. Snowden had what one could assume as a comfortable lifestyle & a decent career that included a $200,000 salary from a consulting company and as a defense contractor. If apprehended, Snowden could face some hefty charges, including treason, which is still probably punishable by death. Despite fleeing the country, Snowden doesn’t think he’s commited any crime at all. Maybe that Whistleblower Act will save him should ever touch US soil again.
Now if you’re like me, then your phone is either glued to your hand or hip all times of the day. So does it scare you knowing that the one thing created and updated to keep you in touch with loved ones could be used against you?
Now the question, is Snowden a hero or a traitor?
We all know that the government has been and will always be capable of some scrupulous acts in the name of national security. I mean the ideas. behind shows like Nikita or games like Call of Duty are not fathomed out of thin air. These covert ops happen right under our noses every day. But normally we are led to believe that us average tax paying, boring drones are not the ones who are targets of surveillance. It’s usually the Osama Bin Laden, Al Capone’s and Aldrich Ames types of the world…
But what about John and Mary Smith who go to work, pay their taxes, take out the garbage, attend PTA meetings or heck do nothing at all each and every day? I mean what about us, average US citizens who aren’t committing crimes? How do you feel knowing your information was sold to the government for the highest bid?
Basically I will break it down like this…
The government who, for the most part, said that our rights or privacy should not be violated (without a warrant)?
However I didn’t sign anything. Perhaps had I been offered a search warrant, I would have agreed! Why? It’s because I don’t have shit to hide. I’m an uncensored but open book! Hell, I’d be glad if the government would let me know if the phone company was gouging me for some charges that aren’t correct while they were at it. And I’d for damn sure be pleased if any of this prevents another act of terror. But as the notion of privacy becomes a rare commodity from the social networking we willingly share our lives through to the reality TV shows we glue ourselves to that delve deeper into the lives of other people…it’s not at all surprising to me.
Does that make it right? Not really? But the CIA and other government branches have made it their business in knowing the business of its citizens.
(Does COINTELPRO sound familiar?)
Regardless, I will tell you…it will not bring an end to terror. There is always going to be a war criminal or organized criminal leeching at the surface of this society. Does this bother you? Especially knowing that the securities sacrificed on your behalf were all for nothing as soon as the next bombing or terror event arises? Fuck! What if this causes an uprising?
But on the other hand, what if the government’s efforts put a stop to another 9/11 or Boston Marathon incident? Perhaps it may be unorthodox or even illegal but it’s nothing new and it’s surely won’t stop here especially with technology advancing more and more.
So think about it! I’ll ask again is Snowden a TRAITOR to his country or a HERO of the everyday Joe?
What scares me is the fact that knowing the government has this vital information and holding into it for now…what exactly could or would be a trigger for the NSA, FBI or the CIA? Hell I don’t want to Homeland Security knocking at my door because of a conversation I had with someone about God-knows-what! Does the movie, Eagle Eye ring a bell?
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