I was an NSA spy & Why Snowden REALLY matters.
First a couple of quick notes:
I really was. A lowly private intercepting foreign military communications and it was a long time ago. There were very strictly enforced guidelines regarding what was and wasn't allowed. Those lines have shifted and if you don't like them you should talk to your congress critters about it. I can help you do that - ask me how in a PM or comments. I have talked to them, and continue to do so, but if you want them to hear you...
The good and bad that Snowden did will be debated for a long, long time. I'm not going to try to convince you that my opinion is right or pretend that you even care what I think about his
actions. Yes, we should be aware of what our government does and protect our freedoms. I think we can all agree on that.
What really matters is how he did it and what he did afterwards. There is little doubt that he had to protect himself after taking a bold and what must have seemed like heroic step. History is full of people who took heroic actions and those who didn't protect themselves are lost to us. they didn't get to make history. They didn't get to make a difference. They just disappeared.
Snowden had/has the chance to make a difference now. By stepping up and facing the consequences of his actions he can cause the American government to justify what they do. We can hold them accountable and if change is needed we can make them change. But he's not doing that, is he ?
By hiding out and continuing to act the coward, he's causing many of us to rally around a coward. We (many of us) feel that treachery and cowardice are heroic. We believe that it's okay to do whatever we want and don't have to be held accountable for our decisions. Is that the America we want ? Is that what our values have become ?
How can we expect the government to be accountable if we don't expect each other to be ? It is after all - a government OF THE PEOPLE !
Sorry for the look of this one - I really need to figure out how to link my G+ and bloggers together better.
Hi Ted, you asked how I felt about certain lines being crossed and exceptions to my "I wouldn't spy on my neighbors" comment, eg, spying on a pedophile. Ted, to clarify my point, my bone is with the breach of permissions expansion "we the people" did not agree to. I liken it to having a block party and hiring security to keep the block under control, scanning for misconduct, etc. I did not give Security permission to enter my house, even though it is on said "block" and go through my underwear drawer, check out my gun cabinet, look through my financial files and bookshelves and refrigerator. I said, "guard the block."
ReplyDeleteNow anyone connected to even a flunkee asshole lawyer will point out I did not specifically say NOT to go through my underwear drawer. That does not make it right ethically, morally or even legally. If I wanted an expansion of the agreement, it would be stated as such. So no, I would not spy on my neighbors, ever, not even a pedophile. I would go through proper channels to alert lawful officials about the pedophile and let them do their job, which should not entail subjecting the perp's innocent acquaintances to unlawful searches merely because they are FB friends or were in a work conference call together.
Thank you Jennifer Tackman You make a couple of excellent points there. As a former Occupier I'm very sensitive to 4th amendment issues. (The other ones too)
ReplyDeleteThanks Ted. I'm having issues with notifications. I shared the post and, because I couldn't find you to ask permission to quote you, I kept it anonymous. I am just curious what other people think on this issue. I'm pretty heavy-hitting on personal freedoms and governments who go too far. I feel we are facing crises in both presently and it is alarming to me how passive the citizenry has become. Spying "old school" has a place - track a clear and present danger, but don't touch connections that clearly are not a threat. Widespread and sweeping collection of everyone's metadata is an egregious violation. If the masses understood more about the details that can be extracted from relationships between various metadata, perhaps there would be a far greater outcry. Of course, it goes beyond metadata too, but that's a whole other conversation.
ReplyDeleteNo I still have you in my circles. Maybe G+ did a little a little mistake. It happens sometimes.
ReplyDeleteMy notifications seem to get stuck for hours or more sometimes and then I'll suddenly have 30! You're in my circles too, Ted. :-)
ReplyDelete