The word 'hero' gets thrown around all too easily these days, so I'm not going to do that. Let me just say I respect the intelligence and courage of one Edward Snowden, the man apparently behind the leaked documents discussed in my last post. He has since come forward, acknowledging that he was the source of the leaks, in spite of the likely consequences of doing so... for that, and for doing what he considered right in that light, I have to respect his courage.
Of course, this isn't a perfect case of civil disobedience... for that to be the case, you have to not only defy an unjust system, but make yourself available to that system for the full weight of its retribution, to illustrate the full extent of its injustice to the public at large. Mr. Snowden instead made sure to get himself to Hong Kong before publicizing his role in this matter. In doing so, he gains a little potential personal safety, at the cost of being associated with the Chinese, and possibly being accused of working for them. Still, it's probably the safest English-speaking region he could have chosen to hide out in, both in terms of extradition and other, less-honorable methods of making problems disappear... it's a smart move, for someone who doesn't want to become a martyr, hence the respect for his intelligence.
So, here's to you, Mr. Snowden... I don't envy the path you've chosen, but I envy your ability to choose it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment