Edward Snowden

11/04/2013

• PrintStatement From Edward Snowde

The German magazine Der Spiegel published a statement Sunday from Edward Snowden that it translated from English to German. Snowden has provided the ACLU with the original English text:

"In a very short period, the world has learned that some intelligence services operate unaccountable and occasionally criminal dragnet surveillance programs. While the NSA and GCHQ appear to be the worst offenders, we must remember that mass surveillance is a global problem and needs global solutions. Such programs are not just a threat to privacy, but to free expression and open societies. We must not allow the existence of spying technology to determine political policy; we have a moral duty to ensure our law and values constrain surveillance programs and protect basic human rights.

"Society can only understand and control these problems through robust, open, and informed debate. In the beginning, a few governments, embarrassed by the revelation of their mass surveillance systems, engaged in an unprecedented campaign of persecution to suppress that debate by intimidating journalists and criminalizing truth-telling. At that time, the public had no ability to measure the benefit of these revelations, and deferred to the judgment of government regarding the wisdom of this decision, but today it is clear that this was a mistake, and such action does not serve the public interest. The fruits of the debate they sought to avoid are now being enjoyed in countries around the world, and the beneficiary of this new public knowledge is society.

"Individuals have a civic responsibility to fight the suppression of information regarding matters of critical public importance. Telling the truth is not a crime."

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The above piece is found on the ACLU page. These days, their mission is relatively tolerable. They do not like a police state.  Here is another article that warns of local police:

Capability is Driving Policy, Not Just at the NSA But Also in Police Departments
The local police are tied into Homeland Security which is buying them war-fighing equipment, communications capability, all those cameras in your face. You local police department, with a high proportion of people who were not college material, is now part of the HS network. Talk to a local officer about the nature of our republic; then, talk about the importance of following orders.

This is stuff that would have made Stalin very happy.  If the switch is thrown, we are a massive internment camp. 

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In recent news the Obama cabal said that with respect to Mr. Snowden there will be no  forgiveness. They meant by them.  So what?  Who wants to be in the good graces of tyrants other than victims who have abandoned hope?

I do not look at mass media in the U.S. so I was wondering, has this release been covered?  I am sure it will be by the world press.

The awareness level of the world, not so much in the U.S., has been increasing rapidly, probably thanks to the Internet. The lone voices warning us of secrecy and tyranny had been marginalized. Snowden may be the catalyst for a movement toward individual liberty. He is a very bright insider who had a moral and Constitutional sense of honor. His world-wide whistle blowing is far more effective than slobs camping out in a park  whining about "1 percenters" which, apparently, give license to rape.  

In many ways, they are correct in their emotional state of mind, but you cannot rationally ally yourself with rabble. Also, you could not keep up with them as the crew in NY, at least, were pretty darn close to being from 1%er families.