Abstract
We live in a world of narratives. Unfortunately, the government has the upper hand in this area. All systems control information flow to a certain extent, however, the degree of control depends on the system of government. For example, the government's control of information and narratives in a liberal society is less rigid compared to an authoritarian or totalitarian system. The government, despite being a representative of the people or machinery of the state, has the resources to design, define, refine, and distort narratives to suit its whims and caprices. If a system labels a hero a villain, he is indeed the latter regardless of the evidence that proves otherwise. The manipulation of information and narratives is a real problem in any society, whether it is democracy or totalitarian. George Orwell in his Magnum Opus, 1984, hinted at the world of government surveillance and the consequences that awaited anyone who dared to challenge the system before Snowden and Assange were born. This essay intends to argue whether or not Snowden and Assange are freedom fighters or a security threat, as the system has chosen to label them.