Edward Snowden: helt eller forræder?

“I wanna get him caught and brought back for trial. I think the chase is on”

You are most likely hearing the name Edward Snowden in the news or in the media from time to time. He is publishing top secret documents from the NSA. Some think that the acts of Edward Snowden are heroic while others think he is a traitor and does not have the rights to leak the documents.

Edward Snowden is a hero

Edward Snowden dares to risk his own safety and freedom to defend civilians’ safety. He leaks the documents showing how the US government is spying on hundreds of millions of Americans and foreign citizens all around the world.

He acts responsibly with the way he leaks the documents and therefor doesn’t cause the US government any more harm than necessary. The data he leaks doesn’t contain information on the US military plans nor the conversations between the US and foreign countries.

Edward Snowden is a traitor

Edward Snowden is risking US foreign relations by leaking the documents. Some believe that he creates more damage than good by doing so. Some also believe that if Snowden genuinely thinks that he is doing something right, he must face the consequences that follow his actions. Instead he runs away from everything and flees to Hong Kong and then to Moscow. He is not seen as a hero as long as he can’t face the responsibilities for what he’s doing.