The strongest candidate for Time's "person of the year" would seem to be Pope Francis, John Cassidy reports. But the real winner may well be Edward Snowden. Before you fall off your cliff on the right, Time's honor is not given for best all-round sweetie-pie. The top billing goes to "the person who, in the opinion of the magazine’s editors, had the most influence on the news." I don't see how they can avoid Snowden and, of course, I think he deserves "best all-round sweetie-pie," too.
Snowden’s claim isn’t merely based on the quantity of news he has generated; his contribution is much larger than that. In opening the eyes of people around the world to how easy it is for governments to monitor digital communications, and to how complicit major technology companies have been in these surveillance programs, he sparked a long-overdue debate about how to preserve privacy in the information age—and whether such a thing is even possible. If Snowden hadn’t come forward, the steady encroachment of the surveillance state would have continued, and most people would have been none the wiser. Now Big Brother and his enablers have been rattled, and have been forced to be a bit more open. ...
... Naming Snowden as Person of the Year won’t, by itself, change what happens in Washington and other capitals. But the honor, coming from the editors of the world’s most famous newsweekly, would, at least, send a message that journalists recognize the contribution he has made, and the importance of the issues he has raised. ...Cassidy,NewYorker
No, it wouldn't change that much. But it would start with the spectacle of James Clapper -- and assorted members of Congress along with Eric Holder -- exploding into tiny fragments. That has to count for something.
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Well, no explosions. Time announced Wednesday morning that the pope won. Alas, America lost even though Time protests that, well, Snowden came in second.
