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Edward Snowden in Hindsight

zdziarski.com

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Re: Edward Snowden in Hindsight

#41

Post by sam_lowry_ »

car_analogy wrote: post #36
paulryanrogers wrote: post #14

Snowden is likely facing much more scrutiny in Russia, a totalitarian regime he became stranded in. He gave up a very comfortable life once and landed in a far much less comfortable one. Blaming him for not risking his life again, and now likely also his SO and child(ren), comes across as naive or at least reductive.

> Blaming him [..] comes across as naive Calling this naive is itself naive. It's not naive - it's malicious. The author dislikes what Snowden has done in the US, so he is trying to demonize him by holding him to some saintly standard of self-sacrifice that almost no-one could live up to.

> self-sacrifice that almost no-one could live up to

Like Navalny?

Re: Edward Snowden in Hindsight

#43

Post by car_analogy »

sam_lowry_ wrote: post #41
car_analogy wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Blaming him [..] comes across as naive Calling this naive is itself naive. It's not naive - it's malicious. The author dislikes what Snowden has done in the US, so he is trying to demonize him by holding him to some saintly standard of self-sacrifice that almost no-one could live up to.

> self-sacrifice that almost no-one could live up to Like Navalny?

"almost"

If the gist of the article was "Snowden is pretty brave, but there exist people even more courageous and self-sacrificing", I wouldn't have much issue with it.

Re: Edward Snowden in Hindsight

#44

Post by unchocked »

paulryanrogers wrote: post #29
unchocked wrote: post #22

For potential whistleblowers: there are legal avenues to expose wrongdoing. http://whistlebloweraid.org offers free representation to those navigating the process, founded by a (legal) NSA whistleblower.

If even Congress cannot compel the head of the NSA--under threat of perjury--to publicly admit to an illegal dragnet then what chance does this organization have?

Well, it was founded by the NSA 12333 whistleblower, and assisted in representing the Facebook whistleblower, so… a pretty good chance?

Re: Edward Snowden in Hindsight

#45

Post by Sporktacular »

unchocked wrote: post #44
paulryanrogers wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If even Congress cannot compel the head of the NSA--under threat of perjury--to publicly admit to an illegal dragnet then what chance does this organization have?

Well, it was founded by the NSA 12333 whistleblower, and assisted in representing the Facebook whistleblower, so… a pretty good chance?

From the Snowden revelations themselves, the probability that that website is on a watchlish is basically 1, meaning they're aware of your existence and intentions before you even click upload.

This might seem outrageous but that's the mindset of militaries and intelligence agencies in every country. If they have a chance to learn about a potential threat they will instinctively take it and it wouldn't be even slightly controversial. Snowden's revelations only confirmed that, they'll take everything they can, hide whatever they can and debate its legality later.

Re: Edward Snowden in Hindsight

#46

Post by j_crick »

fosefx wrote: post #24

It's easy to ask for Snowden to be more vocal against the Russian government when you are not a) in Russia, b) treated as a terrorist by your country and c) in the constant fear of Russia dropping their support for you. The man just became a father, cut him some slack, he lost everything once. For us this means taking what Snowden has to say about the Russian government with a bucket of salt.

> The man just became a father, cut him some slack, he lost everything once.

Why cutting some slack for somebody who knew what he was getting into, all while using his family circumstances as a vehicle for appealing for compassion in the matter unrelated to his family status at all?

Re: Edward Snowden in Hindsight

#48

Post by ASalazarMX »

topher515 wrote: post #35

Edward Snowden is the last person we should ask to speak out against Russia. Almost every other Russia-resident who might speak out against the invasion could, the next day, show up in Madrid, Berlin, Mexico City—wherever in The West—and expect to receive political asylum. But if Snowden steps foot into Western-aligned soil then he’s just kicked off a slow, inexorable ride via extradition to American prison. As such,…

> An unfortunate and extremely ironic side effect of standing up for freedom against a mostly-free state

From his situation, USA is the most authoritarian regime in the world, and its clutches reach very far. The state crimes he exposed are still unresolved, and his prize at home for denouncing them would be solitary confinement.

Definitely the most unlikely person to endanger his precarious situation by criticizing his own protection, though.

Re: Edward Snowden in Hindsight

#49

Post by unchocked »

Sporktacular wrote: post #45
unchocked wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, it was founded by the NSA 12333 whistleblower, and assisted in representing the Facebook whistleblower, so… a pretty good chance?

From the Snowden revelations themselves, the probability that that website is on a watchlish is basically 1, meaning they're aware of your existence and intentions before you even click upload. This might seem outrageous but that's the mindset of militaries and intelligence agencies in every country. If they have a chance to learn about a potential threat they will instinctively take it and it wouldn't be even slight…

Yes, indeed, and they offer signal and TOR instructions as well OFC, don’t visit with a work/personal devise if considering whistleblowing.

Re: Edward Snowden in Hindsight

#50

Post by Sporktacular »

unchocked wrote: post #49
Sporktacular wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the Snowden revelations themselves, the probability that that website is on a watchlish is basically 1, meaning they're aware of your existence and intentions before you even click upload. This might seem outrageous but that's the mindset of militaries and intelligence agencies in every country. If they have a chance to learn about a potential threat they will instinctively take it and it wouldn't be even slight…

Yes, indeed, and they offer signal and TOR instructions as well OFC, don’t visit with a work/personal devise if considering whistleblowing.

First, that's not very reassuring.

Second, Snowden tried to use official channels, but that failed and he wasn't so stupid to let them cut him off before he could pursue others.

But third, you'd fault him for not using technologies that either didn't exist or weren't effective at the time and ignore the fact that they only became so precisely because he revealed what he did? Seriously?

The man who understood and maintained these surveillance systems better than almost anyone decided he couldn't trust anything but extreme precautions employed by an expert against the technology of a decade ago, let alone today. As above, Intel agencies aren't truely accountable, are ridiculously capable and will never accept the situation of being stumped by obvious threats because they use Signal and Tor. If they need a how-to website they've already lost.

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