The only reason he's in Russia now is that his passport was revoked while he was on a layover in Moscow on his way to Ecuador (and eventually heading to Cuba). It's ironic that so many people think he's working for the Russians because he's living there when he never had any intention of staying permanently in Russia.
Even if the majority of Americans think he shouldn't be punished, I suspect our politicians would need to see him tried, convicted, and sentenced in order to protect their collective asses.
I had totally forgotten that Snowden had handed all the documents to journalists, I only now know how technologically illiterate (the majority) of journalists are by having finished half a journalism degree as an aside to my current study. Their understanding of technology is also completely counter-intuitive, even the professors argue that all data on the Internet is fleeting and lost within seconds when it is one of the only places where information doesn't die. (i.e. your dick pic will outlive you vs. the dick pic will only be present for a few seconds).
How do you communicate all this to the greater American audience and hopefully enact change like shutting doing Section 215? Especially when Bieber will likely be up to some sort of hi-jinx.
The quicker the US stops this inside their borders, the quicker an Australian politician will reverse course on metadata collection.
I would not have appreciated the interview on the level I did without that essay. I'm geeking out about how clever the techniques John Oliver used were and how easy it was to not notice them!
I would not have appreciated the interview on the level I did without that essay. I'm geeking out about how clever the techniques John Oliver used were and how easy it was to not notice them!
I noticed them, and got annoyed with Juliane as she kept saying the Times Square people were stupid. I had to point out the entire bit was that Americans aren't stupid, but that the media are terrible at educating them. And that is, of course, what the whole thing was about by the end.
The sad thing from my perspective is that most people I know know who Snowden is, and know that their data is being collected and parsed, but don't care at all. The attitude is "always has been, always will be, they don't care about me anyways". Apathy is just as much of a danger as ignorance.
The sad thing from my perspective is that most people I know know who Snowden is, and know that their data is being collected and parsed, but don't care at all.
I watched a speech the other night by Glen Greenwald, one of the reporters Snowden provided the data to. He focused on a couple of issues that I thought were very important, namely why should we care and the distinction between privacy of a private citizen and public/open actions of the government.
On the first point he used the example that even if you are a law-abiding citizen with "nothing to hide" in the way of illegal activity, we still (rightly so) desire privacy and the ability to choose who we share various pieces of information with. Things we tell or don't tell to our doctor, therapist, friend, spouse, employer, etc... Even if you have nothing to hide of an illegal nature you still (rightly) use passwords on your social media, email, banking accounts and will not provide them to someone easily.
The second point follows, which is that the right of a private citizen is to be allowed to conduct their affairs in the privacy they desire and that the government and its officials should largely conduct its business in public and be open to public inspection and scrutiny. The more these two situations are reversed the closer our situation is to a tyrannical society than a free society.
I had totally forgotten that Snowden had handed all the documents to journalists, I only now know how technologically illiterate (the majority) of journalists are by having finished half a journalism degree as an aside to my current study. Their understanding of technology is also completely counter-intuitive, even the professors argue that all data on the Internet is fleeting and lost within seconds when it is one of the only places where information doesn't die. (i.e. your dick pic will outlive you vs. the dick pic will only be present for a few seconds).
Some of them at least brought in technological experts like Bruce Schneier to review the documents. Schneier may not be one of the original people Snowden gave the documents to, but he does have them and has reviewed/is reviewing them.
Whenever I hear people say "they don't care about me anyway" I think of the woman who was looking for a new pressure cooker online and at the same time her kid happened to need a new backpack. This wasn't that long after the Boston Bombing, so some "do gooder" co-worker or sysadmin noticed and called the cops on her. Just because you aren't doing anything wrong doesn't mean they can't make a case against you.
Comments
Who am I kidding?
Seriously, coming back here is just willfully signing his death warrant.
Wow. They've gotten desperate.
Then read this really good essay that wraps up everything that I thought was brilliant about it so I don't have to write it here myself.
How do you communicate all this to the greater American audience and hopefully enact change like shutting doing Section 215? Especially when Bieber will likely be up to some sort of hi-jinx.
The quicker the US stops this inside their borders, the quicker an Australian politician will reverse course on metadata collection.
On the first point he used the example that even if you are a law-abiding citizen with "nothing to hide" in the way of illegal activity, we still (rightly so) desire privacy and the ability to choose who we share various pieces of information with. Things we tell or don't tell to our doctor, therapist, friend, spouse, employer, etc... Even if you have nothing to hide of an illegal nature you still (rightly) use passwords on your social media, email, banking accounts and will not provide them to someone easily.
The second point follows, which is that the right of a private citizen is to be allowed to conduct their affairs in the privacy they desire and that the government and its officials should largely conduct its business in public and be open to public inspection and scrutiny. The more these two situations are reversed the closer our situation is to a tyrannical society than a free society.
http://www.sltrib.com/home/2331830-155/utah-data-center-has-ominous-role?fullpage=1
What I'm trying to say is I'd totally let Snowden monitor my dick pic.