Yesterday, the United States received a message of disapproval and distrust from the German people as it was revealed that at one point, the United States was monitoring the current German Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone. This information would not have been known if the exiled Edward Snowden hadn't released thousands of documents relating to the NSA and its hidden surveillance tactics. The United States looked forward to Merkel as a new ally with similar interests when she had been elected, but this new amount of information severed a bond of trust that the US government once had with the German gov. They reluctantly had to admit the espionage they committed because all the cards were forcibly placed on the table. One man caused tension (that was perhaps unneeded) between two of the richest, most powerful countries in the world. One that may affect our relationship with Germany for years to come. However, that man did also give us the transparency of the powers and dangers of the internet. He gave us the knowledge of the rapid decrease (maybe even the disappearance) of the concept of "privacy." I guess that my question for the class after this new information that may potentially lead to increased international tensions, do you regard Edward Snowden as a hero or a traitor or something in between?
No comments:
Post a Comment