So why do I have this cognitive dissonance - the
discomfort experienced when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting
ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions.
I have to look at who really benefits, who really pays,
and who gets hurt along the way.
In the specific security cases that are in the news
today, who primarily benefits is easy - the whistleblower. There is no doubt that Julian Assange has
managed to create and nurture a cult of personality around himself to the point
that even WikiLeaks are distancing themselves from him. It is equally true that none of us would have
ever heard of Edward Snowden. But both
of these gentlemen have manipulated the media into thrusting them into the
international spotlight.
Remember that the mission of the NSA is to do exactly
what they are doing. As is GCHQ and
DSD. The public mission statement of DSD
is "Reveal their secrets, protect our own". The subtle part of this is to use the secrets
that are revealed to grease the wheels of international diplomacy. The recent disclosures have manifestly
damaged international diplomacy, so not only have we as a society not benefited
from them, we've actually been hurt instead.
The irony is that the outraged public also have a level
of cognitive dissonance here. It's fine
for us to spy on the untrusted foreigners, but it isn't fine for us to spy on
our own. We are all foreigners to someone!
Real whistleblowers that do it for the public good - like
Erin Brockovich - stay and fight for what they believe in. They don't immediately flee and seek
protection in non-extradition countries.
Phil Kernick Chief Technology Officer
@philkernick www.cqr.com
Phil Kernick Chief Technology Officer
@philkernick www.cqr.com
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