The NSA surveillance story is evolving from one of outrage-by many Americans upon learning that their government has, to cut to the chase, been spying on them, and by many in the political establishment because a mid-level contractor has told this to the world, to one of bad comedy. The story is now one of the US trying to figure out where Snowden is, what flights he did or did not board and what countries are going to sympathize with the US and turn Snowden over to the American authorities. It feels like a global game of where’s Edward with the US cast as the incompetent detective.
This entire episode has been bad for the US for several reasons, but one that has been largely overlooked it the extent to which it makes the US look weak. Spying on citizens, tracking their phone calls and other communications is what one expects from vulnerable authoritarian regimes, not from governments claiming to be the leaders of the free world. Strong countries have a functioning modern state that can assure secrecy and do not seek to cut fiscal corners by contracting out key functions to private companies who often enjoy useful ties to current and former government officials. Again, this kind of incompetence and weak state is not what the most powerful country in the world should be projecting.
If a similar thing had occurred in another country, particularly one that was not on good terms with the US, the news about surveillance would be described by the US government and most of the American media as prima facie evidence of a non-democratic regime in that country. The role played by private contractors would be presented as evidence of a weak state, low accountability and a degree of cronyism or corruption. It is not surprising that the US media has not focused on these issues with regards to Snowden, but these points are not lost on the rest of the world.
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