Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance
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Re: Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance
#2Time for the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate to strengthen international diplomacy and increase cooperation between peoples.
Re: Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance
#3[deleted]
Re: Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance
#4[deleted]
Re: Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance
#5I have colleagues in the defense industry. There are many people who are aren't 100% on board with the ethics of their work but they do it because it is a well paying job. So, while the culture isn't entirely subservient to "orders", nobody really rocks the boat either. I am glad that Edward has the incredible courage that he has displayed!
Re: Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance
#6Hong Kong as his safe harbor from the U.S. government. I wonder what Kim Dotcom would say about that.
Re: Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance
#7WOW. Thank you Edward Snowden. You are a hero, that is to say, a rarely decent human being. Deep respect to you.
Re: Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance
#8A fascinating interview with the NSA whistleblower, which ends with a chilling prediction of where the logic of manifest destiny and exceptionalism will lead the United States:
There will be a time where policies will change, because the only thing which restricts the activites of the surveillance state are policy, even our agreements with other sovereign governments; we consider that to be a stipulation of policy, rather than a stipulation of law. And because of that, a new leader will be elected, they'll flip the switch, say that because of the crisis, because of the dangers that we face in the world, some new and unpredicted threat, we need more authority, we need more power, and there will be nothing the people can do at that point to oppose it. It will be turnkey tyranny.
- Edward Snowden
Some strong allegations here - that anyone is fair game for surveillance by the NSA, and that there is indiscriminate tapping of communications. Also some strong justifications for blowing the whistle on these activities.
A hero for our times.
Re: Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance
#9"Once he reached the conclusion that the NSA's surveillance net would soon be irrevocable, he said it was just a matter of time before he chose to act. "What they're doing" poses "an existential threat to democracy", he said."
Thoughtful people brave enough to blow whistles seem to be the greatest check on what looks like a secret, unaccountable, illegal centralization of power based on lies from the top of the government on down.
Many powerful people will see him otherwise. I shudder to think of what will become of him, though I'm sure we'll see it played out in headlines.
Whistle-blowers are not our only defense, however, as we all have power too, for example contributing to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF):
"His allegiance to internet freedom is reflected in the stickers on his laptop: "I support Online Rights: Electronic Frontier Foundation," reads one. Another hails the online organisation offering anonymity, the Tor Project."
My personal favorite is the Freedombox project: https://www.freedomboxfoundation.org/learn
EFF: https://www.eff.org
(By the way, I don't know about anybody else, but for the first time I can think of, I'm seriously concerned about the consequences of posting support for somebody like this online. I don't know how things will play out years down the road and who will do what with this information.)
EDIT: Followed up by posting the above on my blog -- http://joshuaspodek.com -- based on comments below.
Re: Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance
#10Very brave kid. I hope he will not be tortured and imprisoned.