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Interview with Edward Snowden

spiegel.de

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Re: Interview with Edward Snowden

#131

Post by Viliam1234 »

slg wrote: post #96
deanCommie wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is a highly privileged position from someone who benefits from the current system, or at the very least isn't actively harmed by it. I realize I know nothing about your station, but understand that being able to make that statement is inherently privileged, and one millions of people around the world cannot proclaim. If you have access to benefits and advantages in the system that others do not, then if you are…

People hate the word privilege nowadays (and that is probably why you are being downvoted), but I really can't think of any other word for the idea that something like civil rights for LGBTQ+ people happens out of some type of "self-correction". People fight for that. They literally die for that. It doesn't just happen automatically. To quote Desmond Tutu: >If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chos…

Did Desmond Tutu participate in all conflicts in the world, or only the selected ones?

Because people can care about many things, and yet your favorite cause may not be among them.

Re: Interview with Edward Snowden

#132

Post by boomboomsubban »

lern_too_spel wrote: post #128
boomboomsubban wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> traded a comfortable life in Hawaii for a comfortable life in Moscow A comfortable life in Moscow that was never guaranteed beforehand, and could be arbitrarily taken away with no notice. Being fortune enough to end up in a decent situation does not change what he sacrificed.

He thought he was going to get a comfortable life in Hong Kong by leaking lists of compromised systems to China. That China laughed him out of the country after receiving the documents does not change what he thought his trade was.

So in this fantasy scenario, China is fine completely screwing him over, and then let's him inform everyone what information they now have? Seems dumb.

Re: Interview with Edward Snowden

#133

Post by lern_too_spel »

boomboomsubban wrote: post #132
lern_too_spel wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He thought he was going to get a comfortable life in Hong Kong by leaking lists of compromised systems to China. That China laughed him out of the country after receiving the documents does not change what he thought his trade was.

So in this fantasy scenario, China is fine completely screwing him over, and then let's him inform everyone what information they now have? Seems dumb.

He had already broadcast that he had given the information to China. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1260306/edward-s...

> Seems dumb.

It sure does seem dumb on Snowden's part, doesn't it? Nobody with a technical background who has read Snowden's documents and read what he thought they said has ever accused him of being smart.

Re: Interview with Edward Snowden

#134

Post by lern_too_spel »

sixstringtheory wrote: post #10

> a guy who was supposed to be teaching me...sometimes...would spin around in his chair, showing me nudes of whatever target's wife he's looking at. And he's like: "Bonus!" And that's just a lackey... this only worries me as to what a determined, calculating person is capable of with these tools. > The most important part of the Rubik's cube was actually not as a concealment device, but a distraction device...I reall…

> this only worries me as to what a determined, calculating person is capable of with these tools.

What do you think they would do that they haven't been doing for decades? This target has a court-ordered wiretap on them. The police can request everything up to and including bugging a target's house in these cases, as long as the judge approves.

You seem to believe they can get this data for anybody, but the company that has the data will not hand it over without a court order

Re: Interview with Edward Snowden

#135

Post by seppin »

seppin wrote: post #58
wolco wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

agent and under protection are two different things.

technically no, an agent is a foreign asset.

Facts getting downvoted. This place has become Reddit with even more blind arrogance.

Myth 2: The men and women who work for the CIA are spies and agents

Citizens who work for the CIA are officers – not agents or spies. All employees, from operations officers, to analysts, to librarians and public affairs, are considered CIA officers.

So, who is a CIA agent? Our operations officers recruit well-placed human assets with access to information. These spies are agents. They provide critical information about their country to help America. Operations officers are CIA employees who spot, recruit, and handle foreign agents. They are experts in understanding human nature, emotions, intentions, and motivations.

https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/...

Re: Interview with Edward Snowden

#136

Post by seppin »

ranDOMscripts wrote: post #105
seppin wrote: post #5

He's under FSB protection, the only threat on him now is if he violates their rules. edit i'm sorry does HN not like me pointing out their golden boy is a Russian agent? (intel asset under protection)

Please share with us what countries you think it's safe to be in when you are the #1 target of the US government. El Chapo's hundreds of millions/billions? in payoffs couldn't protect him so you must have some really amazing places in mind.

If I exposed sources and methods i'd goto Moscow too. I'm not saying what he did was stupid, quite the opposite. To save himself from a prison cell and trial he did exactly the right thing. I'm saying lets not pretend he's anything but a defector who didn't want to risk a punishment for what he decided needed to be done.

Re: Interview with Edward Snowden

#137

Post by seppin »

ben_w wrote: post #14
seppin wrote: post #5

He's under FSB protection, the only threat on him now is if he violates their rules. edit i'm sorry does HN not like me pointing out their golden boy is a Russian agent? (intel asset under protection)

Care to hypothesise what those rules might be? Because he does criticise the Russian government openly and often, so he certainly doesn’t look like a pawn, even if Putin is playing metaphorical chess against the whole world.

That's a very good question i've thought about as well. I don't think the Kremlin has much use for him anymore tbh, but they aren't going to hand him over either without getting anything in return. He's too much of a PR gift.

> Because he does criticise the Russian government openly and often

He is careful in what he says, and makes sure not to question the levers of power Putin has (elections, policy state, etc.). I have no doubt he has been given clear guidelines of what to avoid saying, as he is living by the good graces of the Kremlin now.

Re: Interview with Edward Snowden

#138

Post by seppin »

boomboomsubban wrote: post #115
seppin wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Regardless of if he is a hero or villain, he does have integrity. Edward Snowden became an international celebrity because of what he did, and traded a comfortable life in Hawaii for a comfortable life in Moscow. Please don't speak of him in the same vein as, for example, a disappeared Chinese dissident who has actually sacrificed everything for what they believe.

> traded a comfortable life in Hawaii for a comfortable life in Moscow A comfortable life in Moscow that was never guaranteed beforehand, and could be arbitrarily taken away with no notice. Being fortune enough to end up in a decent situation does not change what he sacrificed.

> Being fortune enough to end up in a decent situation does not change what he sacrificed.

It really bugs me that people who defend him for ideological reasons cannot admit that he had benefited from the entire ordeal. He bemoaned the lack of respect at CIA (being the IT guy isn't high up on the totem pole) and now he can skype into a conference in Geneva with thousands of people hanging on his every word. He has a twitter account with a headshot of him doing his best impersonation of a greek philosopher with millions of followers.

To a lot of people, people that don't feel respected in the life and work, that type of celebrity is priceless. Money and a beach house is nothing compared to that.

If you don't think people like Assange and Snowden have a hero complex, and are only motivated by "truth" and "justice", you are kidding yourself.

Re: Interview with Edward Snowden

#139

Post by [deleted] »

avmich wrote: post #102
deanCommie wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Does industrial progress need to be sacrificed to prevent climate change? How can you even ask such a question with a straight face? What benefit is there from a couple of additional points of GDP if we destroy our habitat? The problem with all of the questions you raise is I have never seen anybody asking them in good faith. They are used purely to derail discussion or any active problems or solutions. A generous…

I agree with what you say; I think those downvoting don't understand important things. My take on these questions: > How much governmental intervention is helpful? Climate crisis is similar to slowly unfolding war with a powerful, but slow adversary. A world war. So our good experiences and lessons from how to win a war could be helpful, including questions regarding government. How much government intervention is he…

[deleted]

Re: Interview with Edward Snowden

#140

Post by [deleted] »

skybrian wrote: post #35
lowdose wrote: post #26

Is Snowden publishing a book at the same time there is some confusion about voting in Russian elections? I'm a big fan of Snowden and don't want to insinuate malice. Is this just a mere coincidence? https://www.newsweek.com/russia-novosibirsk-sergey-boyko-nav...

It's an English-language title, and publishers typically schedule things months or years in advance.

[deleted]
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