Writing 04: What good is whistleblowing?

In general, I think that whistleblowing is a force for good and is a necessary component of a democracy that values freedom and truth over mere security of the status quo. Whistleblowing exposes the corruptness of large bureaucracies and corporations where complaints through the "official channels" are often dismissed and the reporters often punished without due process. I don't see why a reporter of illegal behavior is often punished more than the actual entity committing the crimes.

Often in cases involving negligent behavior, I find that it's the fault of leadership and management. These are the individuals that are responsible for evaluating the safety and ethical considerations of the creations of their engineers. I think it is wrong to assume that purely technical workers like software engineers should be in charge of the responsibility and usage of their creations. Oftentimes, these engineers are powerless to stop their managers when they present findings that would hurt their company or organization's bottom line. Too often, managers only look at the money and not at the costs to the public in terms of safety and ethics.

I think technical workers are obligated to speak the truth as they know the most about the safety and usage of their creations and face the least amount of corrupting influence caused by concern over profits. I also believe that the truth should be made public, especially in this day and age of "alternative facts" where politicians and corporations can deceive the public without recourse. Even if these entities commit illegal acts, they are more often than not simply slapped with a small fine. Thus, I don't think these organizations have any right to condemn whistleblowers and sue them for their allegations when they already have so much legal protection due to their enormous profits and redirection of blame.

That being said, I don't think that I would have the courage to be a whistleblower if I was presented with some great injustice in my corporation. There is just too much at stake: I could lose my job, my reputation, and possibly my home and family. What does it matter if you're right if you just get punished and have your life destroyed because of it? I think that I would instead pursue a path of internal reform in whatever capacity I could manage.