It is the responsibility of every government to be part of lives of citizens and to play a major role in improving it. Hence, the government and legislating bodies makes sure that all of its citizens (both politicians and non-politicians) are a part of the reform process, its main components call upon the welfare of every person who is a part of the society and the betterment of society as a whole; which is a civic duty of every citizen and government alike. (Gill & Phythian, 2006) The formulation of various agencies like National Security Agency aims to ensure safety and security of every individual and upkeep their privacy of data and information at all costs. (Karmon, 2002)
However, the discussion ahead will analyze the recent revelations of Edward Snowden regarding the Prism project of NSA in TED talk presentation of the interview by Chris Anderson are a testimony of how the NSA has wrongfully exploited their right to data and information of users in the name of protection and data gathering for terrorist identification and interpret the role of NSA and intelligence in counter terrorism attempts. (Snowden, 2014)
Discussion
The role of intelligence has been predominantly widened to make an end to terrorist activities all through the world with the beginning of the 21st century. The aim of the data gathering intelligence is to keep an eye on the activities of every individual since the time of 1990 when the first terrorist activities began. After successful data analysis, the operatives can determine the changes in the mode of action by the various organizations and deal with these challenges. This helps to configure any threats to national security at any time in future and prevent terrorist acts by taking timely action. (Karmon, 2002)
With the changing times and advanced technological and socio-economic developments, the mode of terrorist activities have also been changed; rendering them with weapons of mass destruction. Hence, the need of the time is to fight technology with technology by interpreting their every move. Such can only be done by the use of effective intelligence agencies to take a close look at the new trends and threats, as well as much vision. Hence it won’t be wrong to conclude that intelligence is the only factor that proves to be a game changer in waging war against terrorism and weakening its pre-emptive paraphernalia and tactical significance. (Gill & Phythian, 2006)
The main argument of Edward Snowden was also on the same basis that the role of intelligence in data gathering enables the state to have a strong footing which is sovereign of the laws of any civilization. However, he was also of the view that any legitimate political entity appointed by the consent of the majority of people which promises and safeguards such rights for every man is validated if it doesn’t exploit its powers. (Snowden, 2014)
Since government is a consequence of a political agreement where the citizen’s handover an absolute extent of their rights to the régime as an interim measure so as to guarantee a steady, peaceful and contented gratification of their freedom, lives, and property, however, the steps taken by NSA to yield out personal information of every American citizen forcefully out of their everyday used websites like Facebook, skype, Google, Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL and YouTube was strongly in contradiction of freedom of privacy to the citizens of America. (Snowden, 2014)
Snowden then discussed how data analysis was far more spread in the USA than in Russia. Being a personal member of NSA he reviewed their strategies entirely wrong since they stood and took oath numerous times in court about no unfair usage of user data, but they not only forced it out of these websites but went as far as forcibly entering and extracting data from sites like yahoo when they thought the data they received was incompetent. (Snowden, 2014)
Conclusion
Since the Constitution states that if such legally elected political governments somehow default or get corrupted or fail to provide the citizens their basic rights, they can counterattack and substitute with a fresh form of regulations, so I am supporting Snowden and raising my voice against all activities of NSA even if they were done in goodwill. (Karmon, 2002)
References
Gill, P., & Phythian, M. (2006). Intelligence in an insecure world. Polity.
Karmon, E. (2002). The role of intelligence in counter-terrorism. The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis, 14(1), 119-139.
Snowden, E. (2014). Here’s how we take back the Internet. Ted.com. Retrieved 27 July 2017, from https://www.ted.com/talks/edward_snowden_here_s_how_we_take_back_the_internet#t-524160
