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Showing posts from June, 2013

My Usual Dilemma: I can see both sides of the argument.

These days probably no one is in the news more often than Edward Snowden. Snowden is either a demon or a hero, depending upon the side of his escapades with which one sympathizes. Some people, including me, are caught on the horns of a dilemma – we see merit in both sides. First let me say that the United States is a nation of laws, and lawbreakers must be punished. Snowden must pay the consequences of his actions. One commits civil disobedience in order to be punished. By so doing, one calls attention to the injustice one is protesting, thus garnering popular support for reform. By fleeing to nations somewhat cool to the U.S. interests, Snowden has given the government backing in the effort to demonize him. Thus the full force of his disclosures is blunted – attention is called to his actions and turned away from the object of his protest: our government is spying on us. Which begs the question: Why are so many people, including many liberals, not upset about the object