Big Brother and the whistle-blower

Quote

“People who live in the post-totalitarian system know only too well that the question of whether one or several political parties are in power, and how these parties define and label themselves, is of far less importance than the question of whether or not it is possible to live like a human being.” Václav Havel.

News

The face of fugitive Edward Snowden adorns the front page of several papers in Britain today. The former CIA employee who leaked vast amounts British and American intelligence data was pictured together with four prominent American whistle-blowers at a secret location in Russia.

The battle over the ethics of his actions rages in the press.  The Guardian has been publishing the leaks to expose the extent of eavesdropping by the intelligence services and force greater accountability on them.  On the other hand, the Daily Mail accuses the Guardian of being ‘The paper that helps Britain’s enemies’, and The Times headline states that Snowden’s leaks are the ‘worst blow to British intelligence ever’.

Both sides in the wider debate claim to act out of a sense of responsibility, but more important is the question of proportionality.  What is a proportional level of surveillance of the US or UK population in order to intercept potential security risks?  And when responsibility requires blowing the whistle on corrupt or illegal actions, how much is it appropriate to divulge?

From a relational perspective, perhaps the crucial issue is to consider what poses the greater threat to our lives and relationships in the long run.  Is it the threat of a sudden attack from malevolent individuals, or is it the creeping tyranny from a centralised state?

Each threat is real, and many people in diverse countries have painful experiences of both realities.    The challenge for whistle-blowers and governments alike is knowing how to mount an effective defence against the one threat, without increasing the likelihood of the other.

Read on

Sales of Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell’s book about ‘Big Brother’ dominating a totalitarian state, have surged since Edward Snowden’s leaks; you can read an overview of the events and context which shaped Orwell’s thinking here.

Walk the talk

Do you need to consider the proportionality of your response to some particular threat?  Be careful to avoid the substitution of one danger for another. 

The last word

From the Bible, Matthew chapter 24, verse 43: “But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.”