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Tell HN: Edward Snowden hasn't tweeted since Russian invasion of Ukraine started

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Re: Tell HN: Edward Snowden hasn't tweeted since Russian invasion of Ukraine started

#21
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Like, 90% of sites are encrypted now How much does that have to do with Snowden vs. Let's Encrypt.

It's not just the Internet traffic being encrypted, it's the proliferation of alternative services that have popped up because of the leaks (Protonmail, Tutanota etc). Many services exist now that are because of the revelations, and it's not just about HTTPS. You can very readily install many tools & utilities that thwart the NSA dragnet. Think Signal, Matrix, Cryptomator, self-hosted Nextcloud, AD-blockers like uBlo…

> Many services exist now that are because of the revelations

That's the narrative but doesn't really hold up to scrutiny.

> Signal

Moxie's original encrypted messaging apps date back to 2010 and Open Whisper was officially started in Jan 2013.

> Matrix

Came out of an effort to build a unified communications suite for corporations.

> Cryptomator

Never heard of it. More widely used solutions like Attic/Borg have been around since 2010.

> self-hosted Nextcloud

Nextcloud was forked from OwnCloud which was started in 2010.

> AD-blockers like uBlock Origin

Ad Block Plus has been around since 2005. uBlock Origin solves the same problem but does it better. Claiming this had anything to do with Snowden is a very tenuous argument.

Re: Tell HN: Edward Snowden hasn't tweeted since Russian invasion of Ukraine started

#22
post #9

What do you expect him to say? He is in Russia. If he says something against the war in Ukraine, he is being arrested because it is illegal in Russia to be against the war, you are not allowed even to call it a war. If he is arrested, in the best case he will be deported and then goes to jail in the US. In the worst case, he is put in jail in Russia next to Navalniy. If he doesn't say anything, then apparently the on…

> What do you expect him to say? He is in Russia. Some call acting on principle with the understanding you may be imprisoned for doing so “having the courage of one’s convictions’. Snowden evaded extradition to the United States by residing in Russia. At present, he appears to be silent regarding the current state of Russia/Ukraine relations. Courage. Convictions.

If Edward Snowden hasn’t illustrated enough conviction to meet your standards, I am aching to learn who has.

He sacrificed his entire livelihood for his fellow Americans, yet whose most honorable efforts have still had no measurable political impact despite being the most important media story in the past decade, opting against sacrificing the fleeting bits of life he has left to call his own in the name of yet another unrelated cause.

Realize you aren’t criticizing a questionable action of his. You’re just brazenly insisting that he do more to impress you. Where is the logic here?

Re: Tell HN: Edward Snowden hasn't tweeted since Russian invasion of Ukraine started

#23
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What do you expect him to say? He is in Russia. Some call acting on principle with the understanding you may be imprisoned for doing so “having the courage of one’s convictions’. Snowden evaded extradition to the United States by residing in Russia. At present, he appears to be silent regarding the current state of Russia/Ukraine relations. Courage. Convictions.

Courage of convictions is an ideal to impose on yourself. You don't get to impose it on anybody else. You don't know enough about anybody's situation except your own.

> Courage of convictions is an ideal to impose on yourself. You don't get to impose it on anybody else.

With due respect, I politely disagree. One may call out anyone for meeting or failing the courage of their convictions.

Re: Tell HN: Edward Snowden hasn't tweeted since Russian invasion of Ukraine started

#24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He acted on principle and conviction by whistleblowing. Look how far that got him. Easy to call for being courageous when your not the one facing life in prison.

> Easy to call for being courageous when your not the one facing life in prison. The ease with which one points out the courage of another’s convictions is distinct from the courage of the subject of attention.

Yes, but it should still be accounted for in their answer. I read someone saying “Snowden isn’t courageous enough” and I think that this person does not have enough information and intimate knowledge to make such a statement. Not everybody needs to be a superhero on every issue.

Re: Tell HN: Edward Snowden hasn't tweeted since Russian invasion of Ukraine started

#25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What do you expect him to say? He is in Russia. Some call acting on principle with the understanding you may be imprisoned for doing so “having the courage of one’s convictions’. Snowden evaded extradition to the United States by residing in Russia. At present, he appears to be silent regarding the current state of Russia/Ukraine relations. Courage. Convictions.

If Edward Snowden hasn’t illustrated enough conviction to meet your standards, I am aching to learn who has. He sacrificed his entire livelihood for his fellow Americans, yet whose most honorable efforts have still had no measurable political impact despite being the most important media story in the past decade, opting against sacrificing the fleeting bits of life he has left to call his own in the name of yet anoth…

I am not saying Snowden is not honorable. He has done the world a great service at great personal sacrifice.

I implied he may not have the courage of his convictions regarding current events in Ukraine.

Yes, I want more from Snowden. I know I am not entitled to more, but I still want it.

Re: Tell HN: Edward Snowden hasn't tweeted since Russian invasion of Ukraine started

#26

Putting on my conspiracy robe, I would say something like he's a Russian spy, but his roots are well researched and he's the most doxxed person on the planet, so it's hard to claim he's a Russian spy. The guy seems genuine enough in my eyes, and changed the Internet forever. Like, 90% of sites are encrypted now, and he sparked a privacy revolution after the leaks. He's not a traitor, he's a hero IMHO. Others who clai…

He's not a hero, he is a traitor who betrayed the trust placed in him and damaged our national security.

Re: Tell HN: Edward Snowden hasn't tweeted since Russian invasion of Ukraine started

#27
post #9

What do you expect him to say? He is in Russia. If he says something against the war in Ukraine, he is being arrested because it is illegal in Russia to be against the war, you are not allowed even to call it a war. If he is arrested, in the best case he will be deported and then goes to jail in the US. In the worst case, he is put in jail in Russia next to Navalniy. If he doesn't say anything, then apparently the on…

> What do you expect him to say? He is in Russia. Some call acting on principle with the understanding you may be imprisoned for doing so “having the courage of one’s convictions’. Snowden evaded extradition to the United States by residing in Russia. At present, he appears to be silent regarding the current state of Russia/Ukraine relations. Courage. Convictions.

He already showed his courage, and will likely end up in history books at some point - but he paid a very high price for that, and expecting more is very unreasonable of us. Let the man rest and enjoy the relative freedom and safety he has left, he did his part.

Furthermore: If he wanted to say something in support of russia, he would have absolutely been able to. His silence is very eloquent to me.

Re: Tell HN: Edward Snowden hasn't tweeted since Russian invasion of Ukraine started

#28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Edward Snowden hasn’t illustrated enough conviction to meet your standards, I am aching to learn who has. He sacrificed his entire livelihood for his fellow Americans, yet whose most honorable efforts have still had no measurable political impact despite being the most important media story in the past decade, opting against sacrificing the fleeting bits of life he has left to call his own in the name of yet anoth…

I am not saying Snowden is not honorable. He has done the world a great service at great personal sacrifice. I implied he may not have the courage of his convictions regarding current events in Ukraine. Yes, I want more from Snowden. I know I am not entitled to more, but I still want it.

In the previous event his great personal sacrifice made a difference becasue he has some secret information.

In this event, he has no information that is not widely available, so another great personal sacrifice will achieve nothing.

Re: Tell HN: Edward Snowden hasn't tweeted since Russian invasion of Ukraine started

#29
post #9

What do you expect him to say? He is in Russia. If he says something against the war in Ukraine, he is being arrested because it is illegal in Russia to be against the war, you are not allowed even to call it a war. If he is arrested, in the best case he will be deported and then goes to jail in the US. In the worst case, he is put in jail in Russia next to Navalniy. If he doesn't say anything, then apparently the on…

It is like some people actually want him to commit self righteous suicide for no benefit to anyone besides some tweet saying nothing more than "Russia sucks lol" to satiate the selfish desires of outspoken protestors.

I wonder how many of those people would be virtuous enough to bear the costs in his place to allow him to speak out.

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