Edward Snowden

A

Give an outline of the different views on whistleblowing presented in the texts.  

The three texts have three different views upon the subject of Edward Snowden.

The first text called “The NSA leaker: Traitor or hero?” by Teresa Welsh is published by US News & World Report in 2013.

The text is very objective, Teresa Welsh doesn’t share personal opinions upon the subject; instead she put up others opinions of the case. She writes, how he is seen by others, but never how she perceives him (t_ 1 l: 14-20 p:1) “Snowden is being seen as both a traitor, for revealing sensitive top-secret government information that could compromise national security, and a whistleblower for exposing what some call excessive and unconstitutional surveillance programs. ”

Text 2 is called ”Edward Snowden Is No Hero” is written by Jeffrey Toobin published in The New Yorker 2013, and throughout the text its not positive upon Edward Snowden as the headline giveaway.  

Jeffrey Toobin doesn’t hide he thinks poorly of Snowden and his actions, he even call him an a narcissist  (T: 2 l: 9-14 p:1) “For this, some, including my colleague John Cassidy1, are hailing him as a hero and a whistle- blower. He is neither. He is, rather, a grandiose narcissist who deserves to be in prison.“ Jeffrey Toobin uses Edward Snowden quotes to argument against him being a hero or whistle-blower criticizing him and his decisions.

Text 3 written by Eugene Robinson published in 2013 by The Washington Post. The text is called ”In NSA leaks, Edward Snowden performed a service”

The text is unlike text 2 positive about Snowden’s actions. The text praises him for performing a valuable public service “But even some of the NSA’s fiercest defenders have admitted, if not in so many words, that Snowden performed a valuable public service.” And even though you wish a badly future ahead of Snowden, the text thinks you should be thankful (L: 58-61p:1 t:3)“You can wish Edward Snowden well or wish him a lifetime in prison. Either way, you should thank him. “

How does Jeffrey Toobin argue for his views in text 2? Illustrate your answer with examples from the text.  

Jeffrey Toobin expresses throughout the text despise for Edward Snowden and his actions. The author uses a lot of logos to argument for, why Snowden is no hero. (L:32-40 p:1 t:2) “What, one wonders, did Snowden think the N.S.A. did? Any marginally attentive citizen, much less N.S.A. employee or contractor, knows that the entire mission of the agency is to intercept electronic communications. Perhaps he thought that the N.S.A. operated only outside the United States; in that case, he hadn’t been paying very close attention.” The author makes it appear, as Snowden’s actions was unnecessary by exclaiming that every marginally attentive citizen would figure out that N.S.A was observing communication between the citizens. Jeffrey Toobin makes Snowden’s actions seem worse by making it sound like Snowden leaked the documents because, he felt like it, and not because it was the right thing to do. (L:47-53 p:1 t:2) “Any government employee or contractor is warned repeatedly that the unauthorized disclosure of classified information is a crime. But Snowden, apparently, was answering to a higher calling.“

If all the governments employees and contractors sabotaging programs they didn’t like, it would be chaotic and it seem logical that a society would not could withstand it, which Jeffrey uses as logos argument against Snowden.

(L:58-66 p:1/2 t:2) “So he wasn’t blowing the whistle on anything illegal; he was exposing something that failed to meet his own standards of propriety. The question, of course, is whether the government can function when all of its employees (and contractors) can take it upon themselves to sabotage the programs they don’t like. That’s what Snowden has done.” Snowden seeking help in China to avoid the Americans after his doings is according to Joffrey, another argument for why Snowden didn’t have the right intention for his doings. (L: 86-102 p: 2 t:2)“they have a spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent.” This may be true, in some limited way, but the overriding fact is that Hong Kong is part of China, which is, as Snowden knows, a stalwart adversary of the United States in  intelligence matters. Snowden is now at the mercy of the Chinese leaders who run Hong Kong. As a result, all of Snowden’s secrets may wind up in the hands of the Chinese government – which has no commitment at all to free speech or the right to political dissent. And that makes Snowden a hero?” Joffrey explains that if Snowden had the right intention, he could in the American society have complained to the congress or protesting against within the institutions, where they worked, and because he didn’t do that instead, Joffrey make it seem logical that Snowden’s doings was because of his ego, and not good intentions.