Edward Snowden: Letter to the Editor of Scholardarity
To Whom It May Concern:
Concerning the attempt of the entire media establishment and political class to label Edward Snowden a traitor, I want to try to shed the light of logic and a firm grasp of history. Firstly, let us remember that massive data collection has nothing to do with terrorism. The idea that the two would be connected is illogical. The way to fight terrorism is a narrow focus on key markers, not a broad based surveillance of millions of people. Such a sloppy method would be the least likely way to capture a terrorist. Indeed, terrorists assume that they are potentially monitored at all times, as do criminals. Terrorists are not the focus of such a broad method of eavesdropping, contrary to the pretexts given by Washington DC. The issue is the mass surveillance of entire groups of people for data collection purposes is an issue of social intelligence, not an issue of curtailing terror. Studying human history we can only assume that governments want to know as much about their people as possible in order to govern populations more effectively. This is true of all governments, dictatorships and “democracies” alike.
If Edward Snowden is a traitor for revealing a mass violation of the Fourth Amendment, then who is the enemy? It is a logical question. Generally we consider a traitor someone who reveals plans to the enemy. But if we concede that terrorists already know that they are potentially monitored, if we concede that for all of their feigned surprise foreign governments know that they are being monitored (they return the favor), then who is the enemy that Snowden alerted?
Mr. Snowden did nothing other than reveal an illegal activity. He did nothing to aid any enemy. He also did nothing to violate any Oath because no Oath supersedes the Constitution. As for the idea that he should have gone to Congress or the FBI, it would appear that both entities have been made aware of the NSA program after the leak and neither have done anything to stop it. Going to either would have been ineffectual as they both currently know of the operation and neither have done anything to curtail it. As for the objection that Mr. Snowden fled to Russia or China instead of standing his ground, I can only surmise that it is a strange time when an American must flee to China or Cuba in order to be free of arbitrary and capricious power. We are indeed in strange times.
Nathaniel Bates
