The Global Hunt for Edward Snowden Essay Example for Free

The Global Hunt for Edward Snowden EssayThe wild outflow of the fugitive leaker from Hong Kong to the transit atomic number 18a of Moscows Sherymetyvo Airport, and perhaps on to Ecuador has turned into a reality humiliation for the White House. U.S. officials publicly threatened consequences if Snowden wasnt returned, only to be openly rebuffed by Chinese officials and Russias Vladimir Putin. This made embarrassingly clear how little leverage President Obama has in Moscow or Beijing (and how much wiser it would have been to request Snowdens return in private). Most disturbing, the Snowden affair has enabled whatsoever of the worlds worst human rights offenders to portray themselves as champions of freedom by defending Snowden spot denouncing America as a massive violator of rights.Chinas Xinhua news agency brand the United States as the biggest (cyber) villain in our age. Russian parliamentarians did likewise. You might think that such self-righteous claims would be dismiss ed as political posturing. Yet in todays world, with Americas envision sullied by Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, and by our paralyzed politics, these charges kindle find a receptive audience, not only oversea but at home.So lets look at the records of the countries that argon offering Snowden the great support.For starters, there is something bizarre about the list. While Snowden claims to be defending personal freedoms, he has sought hold dear from egregious violators of human rights, including China, Russia, Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. Whatever his motives, this lends an air of hypocrisy to his claims.He took refuge in Hong Kong, which is part of China, whose leaders control the countrys Internet portals, block content and monitor individual access. The Chinese illegalize print and electronic media and have the largest recorded number of imprisoned journalists and cyber-dissidents in the world, according to Amnesty International. Chinese government hackers have conducted massiv e commercial and military espionage in the United States (and presumably elsewhere) and even breached Googles computers.Beijing is obviously delighted that it piece of ass fend off U.S. complaints by claiming America does likewise. Such charges are bogus and they know it. Whatever your opinion about the National Security Agencys watchfulness programs, the fact is that Congress OKd them and set up special courts to monitor them. The U.S. public can debate whether the controls should be tightened, and demand change.In China, no Congress or courts govern surveillance nor can Chinese citizens oppose it. Government hackers break into the software of international companies such as Apple to eliminate industrial secrets on a massive scale. As Obama noted, thats not normal intelligence assemblage thats theft.Then theres Russia, where the state controls all major newspapers and national TV networks, which are still the major news source for the bulk of the population. Journalists are beaten up or murdered, and the perpetrators, conveniently, are never found. Political dissenters are cowed, arrested, or driven into exile.So when Putin praises Snowden as a human rights activistic who struggles for freedom of information, its hard not to gag. Any Russian who did similarly would wind up in the gulag or worse.Snowdens final destination possibly Ecuador via Venezuela is equally odd for a defender of freedom. As pointed out by Bill Sweeney, editorial director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Venezuela has shut down breakaway broadcasters via a system of politicized regulations.As for Ecuador, its populist president, Rafael Correa, has criminalized reporting that is critical of his government and prosecuted journalists who attempt it.That brings us to the essence of the matter. Snowdens saviors have seized a delicious opportunity to deflect U.S. criticism of their own cyberattacks and rights violations by brand the United States as the real sinner. Dogged by images from Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, Washington has become an easy target. Even some allies have tired of Americas human rights demands (which are readily ignored when strategical concerns trump them, as in Syria).So, critics of American hubris may cheer when Putin praises Snowden or when the Peoples day by day proclaims that Snowden tore off Washingtons sanctimonious mask. Its necessary to remind them The countries helping Snowden arent doing so because they dislike spying. On the contrary. They dont want limits on their own surveillance, just on ours.