A Discussion Of Whether Edward Snowden Is A Hero Or A Traitor

Introduction

Since Edward Snowden leaked documents that contained classified information about US intelligence in 2013, he has been labeled both as a hero and a traitor. Some people believe that he was a hero for demonstrating to the Americans that their government was spying on them illegally. However, other people maintained that what he did portray him as a traitor and not a patriot. A recent memoir by Edward might give more light about his motive or draw attention to him as an icon of pop culture. Whether a traitor or a hero, his motive was viewed differently by different people depending on the angle in which they perceived the matter[footnoteRef:0]. What he did, and the way he did it sparked a hot debate among the Americans as to whether the act was heroic/patriotic or act of betrayal. Depending on the way one may look at it, each side can be argued by providing evidence that supports the claim. 

Edward Snowden as a Hero

Few arguments may be put forward to support the fact that Edward Snowden did a patriotic and heroic act by leaking the documents that contained the US intelligence. One of the arguments is that the documents that Edward leaked showed shocking contents of global mass surveillance systems that the government of the US used to spy on millions of people that did not necessarily have a connection to terrorism. The documents showed that the US government was not only spying on the American citizens but also the foreign citizens. The surveillance technique that the US government was using was able to track web histories, phone conversations, and private emails, among other sources of classified information. What shocked people is that the US government was spying on their private information without court warrant or consent of the people which it was spying. After Snowden shared the information to the public, a global debate sparked over the protection of citizens' privacy and the surveillance technique that the US was using, this made the US legislators pass laws that restricted the US government from using the surveillance technique. These laws were laws of their kind that were not made in decades. This action of revealing the government’s illegal surveillance received acceptance not only by the legislators but also by the technology companies such as Apple and WhatsApp. These companies made users' private information more encrypted to protect their clients' personal information. Therefore, this action portrays Snowden as a hero.

The other argument is that the way Snowden acted with the US surveillance documents was an act of responsibility. When he learned what the surveillance technique that the US government was using to spy on people’s information, he acted responsibly by revealing to the public that the surveillance program that NSA was using was unconstitutional, he was responsible enough not to leak any details concerning the algorithms that NSA was using in its surveillance operations. He did not even leak the identities of individuals or groups that NSA was targeting or even the US agents that were involved in the operations. Besides, he concealed the data containing the conversations between the foreign officials and the US government or even the US military plans. By doing this, Snowden leaked the illegality of the US surveillance program without causing any harm to America's national security. This action portrayed him as a responsible citizen who has no malicious intent for his country.

The other argument is that Snowden’s action defended the civil liberty of the US citizens and paid the price for it. A hero is usually ready to pay the price for defending what he is professing. By revealing the information about the US intelligence operations to the public, he was risking his freedom. Even Eric Holder, The Attorney General of the US, acknowledged Snowden's action and admitted that he did an honorable public service. He purposed to let the people know what the government of the US was doing against the people despite being aware that his action might land him into trouble with the US intelligence agencies. He was motivated by the conviction to defend the sanctity of American values. This act required brevity and can be perceived as a heroic act.

Edward Snowden as a Traitor

Various arguments can be put forward to support the perception that Snowden acted as a traitor for revealing US intelligence information to the public. One of the arguments is that the way Snowden leaked the information about US intelligence operations was dubious. If he were whistleblowing out of the goodwill, he would have first sought the legal avenues. For instance, he could have appealed to the Congress members who are mandated to represent American citizens. Instead of following this channel, he communicated sensitive security matters to the newspaper editors and foreign journalists. 

The other argument is that he damaged US foreign relations. Most of the information that leaked showed that the US was spying on foreign nations, which put the US at risk of damaging foreign relations. By leaking this information, Snowden was risking the undermining of the US alliances with the nations around the world. It also risked the undermining of the US efforts to subvert its enemies since after the information leaked, the enemies of the US knew certainly that they were being spied, and they must have strategized on how to close the loopholes where they were being spied. The other argument is that after Snowden revealed the US intelligent information, he escaped to Hong Kong instead of remaining in the US and be ready to face the consequences as a true patriot and a hero would do. When he ran away from the US to seek refuge, it can be perceived that he was highly useful for selling the US' valuable, intelligent operation in those countries. This is an act of being a traitor.

Conclusion

Snowden's act of revealing US intelligence information caused mixed reactions around the world. He revealed to the Americans that their government was spying on them illegally. This action raised controversy since it attracted numerous debates in and out of the US. Some people saw him as a hero, while others perceived him as a traitor. Whether a traitor or a hero, his motive was viewed differently by different people depending on the angle in which they perceived his action. Depending on the way one may look at it, each side has argued by providing evidence that supports the claim. Some of the arguments that portrayed him as a hero include acting responsibly, voicing out the violation of people’s privacy, and being brave. The arguments that portrayed him as a traitor include escaping to Hong Kong after leaking the US security information, damaging the US foreign relations, and using the dubious method to convey information. 

References

• Caster, Cole N. 'Edward Snowden, Hero or Traitor? An Analysis of News Media Framing.' (2016).
• Friedman, Mark. 'Edward Snowden: Hero or Traitor: Considering the Implications for Canadian National Security and Whistleblower Law.' Dalhousie J. Legal Stud. 24, (2015): 1.
• Moretti, Anthony. 'Whistleblower or Traitor: Edward Snowden, Daniel Ellsberg and the Power of Media Celebrity.' Global Media Journal 2014 (2015).
• Schindler, Simon, and Marc-André Reinhard. 'A hero in the name of truth: Mortality salience increases heroic perceptions of Edward Snowden.' International Journal of Psychological Studies 7, no. 4 (2015).