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Edward Snowden's Impact On Society

Decent Essays

President Franklin D. Roosevelt once claimed that the only thing to fear is fear itself, and besides the natural phobias of life people endure, he is correct. President Thomas Jefferson, however, disagreed and claimed something different: “[Insurrection] is the only thing that we have to fear” (Mirkin 69). Speaking for the government at the time, Thomas Jefferson believed that civil disobedience varies in effectiveness and justifiability depending on the reason behind it. His theory is applicable today when speaking of America’s struggles, especially pertaining to the Civil Rights Movement. When peacefully resisting laws, however, there is a fine line between ego-fulfilling, which negatively impacts society, and selfless resistance, which is beneficial for …show more content…

This is prominently recognized through the intents of Edward Snowden. Despite being recognized as a hero for announcing the “technical capability” the United States government has for intercepting American communications, his whistle-blowing act is obviously to fuel his own ego (Cassidy 3). For example, the information regarding America’s spying would not surprise “organized terrorist groups” that naturally avoid being monitored already, and Snowden did not even reveal the N.S.A.’s methods of surveillance (2). Additionally, he gave no classified information, so why even release it? Instead of reporting to the press, he could have protested the situation in court, as is natural when government employees are dissatisfied, but Snowden did not do so (Toobin 3). He released the secrets to fuel his narcissistic tendencies; Snowden exposed the N.S.A. because they did not “meet his own standards of propriety” (2). Society was affected negatively because of his selfish deed; panic was widespread for years and no positive changes occurred within laws. Because Snowden’s civil disobedience was egotistical, society was negatively

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