Snowden Traitor or Trailblazer?
To face and respond to one’s critics is the single most important act of courage. As it opens a door to look into yourself. Your critics are the ones who are there to show you to yourself, it is up to you to see the gift in this or to see an enemy. The old mindset is about enemies, the new earth is about opportunity. To stop a run away horse one must not see the horse as ‘bad’ but out of control. To stop it is to save it. That is why stopping tyranny is the kindest act and prevents untold deaths in the future. There has been a runaway totalitarianism in the US that has not been answerable to the House of Representatives, the Senate or the US citizens. It is the duty of those who know to tell the blind horseman on the blind horse that he is heading towards the abyss. To face truth is to see clearly, to live truth is to be clear, to know truth is to open to change. This is the message being sent to those abusing power.
When I listen to Edward speak I know he is part of the change in direction not only for the US but the world. By example he demonstrates values in service to humanity. He allows his own humanity to be seen and the courage of his own convictions intelligently articulated from a basis of self determination (liberty) one of the tenants of the US freedoms.
Yes there will be some who see traitor as a culture of secrecy of abuses has been normalised as in the national interest (business), thus denial as is humorously stated is not a river in Egypt. This can be perceived as ‘towing the line of authority’.
Others will view him as a trailblazer, a voice of wisdom reminding the US of who it really is and to change direction Just-In-Time. This can be perceived as ‘throwing a line’ it is to rescue a lost governance consumed with its own power without proportionality. The word ‘narcissism’ comes to me.
A quick google search reveals:
In Greek mythology, Narcissus (/nɑːrˈsɪsəs/; Greek: Νάρκισσος, Nárkissos) was a hunter from Thespiae in Boeotia who was known for his beauty. He was the son of the river god Cephissus and nymph Liriope.[1] He was proud, in that he disdained those who loved him, causing some to commit suicide to prove their unrelenting devotion to his striking beauty. Nemesis noticed this behavior and attracted Narcissus to a pool, where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell deeply in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the allure of his reflection in the pool and having developed an unrequited love that could never be reciprocated, Narcissus lost his will to live and committed suicide. In some versions of the myth, Narcissus stared into his reflection until he withered away. In all versions, his body disappears and all that is left is a narcissus flower. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself and one’s physical appearance or public perception.
Nations utter their greatness, Great Britain did this, the French have done this, the Greeks, Romans and many empires as they equated greatness with dominance. They were admired and feared but not ignored. So when a empire is in decline it seeks to hold onto power in denial of the reality of the fall from grace. Whistle blowers come to be a mirror to those who cannot see the truth of their own creation.
Snowden is a rainbow bridge I feel. He is a peacemaker in truth. His voice is about unity not division. As a whistle blower he has stood up to bullying. That is not an easy path. This stance is to create a limit situation to stop unfettered abuses of power that has been normalised. Visibility and transparency is critical so people can make clear decisions. To be wrong is not a failure it is to open to possibilities, it is the beginning of humility as wisdom.
When you hack in secrecy the universe mirrors hacking by others as they are you. Life is a mirror. Do you see the reflection in this? Cheating to win is not winning. Real winning is appealing truthfully to the will of the people and having the courage to speak to that rather than massaging public opinion for self interest. That is not democracy that is power.
He states the US was born from an act of treason against a government that was out of control. He is not advocating for breaking the rules. He speaks of making a statement of right and wrong as a different standard to legal and illegality the law is no substitute for morality. He did what he thought was right.
He says every act of progression in the history of US has involved tension with law whether the abolition of slavery, enfranchisement of women, birth of the nation, laws were broken because they were wrong.
Gandhi would say it is a duty of the citizen to not adhere to unjust laws. Citizens have a duty to observe government that is stating it represents their wishes and uses their money to do so. That is why each citizen must speak up if corruption of abuses of power are occurring. Moreover, the courts must provide oversight of surveillance and demonstrate neutrality regardless of status to ensure equality before the law and that law works for the people.
Lastly, I love his girlfriend’s love. She strikes me as a very ethical person who has equal courage to him. Love stood with him, that tells me a higher power surrounds him, I feel that. Love is not only the answer, it is the source of who we are.
Give it contemplation….