So that's what a real hero sounds like.
We don't talk much about freedom vs security up here in Canada, do we?
Sure we were taken aback when a 2009 RCMP mission statement colour-coded its surveillance subjects in advance of the G8/20 summit, warning of :
"notions/expectations regarding the environment, animal rights, First nations' resource-based grievances, gender/racial equality, and distribution of wealth etc."... following which the Harper Government™ spent nearly $1-billion deploying 19,000 security personnel to make the largest mass arrest of 1,100 peaceful protesters in Canadian history.
But mostly we are pretty contented sufferers of Watership Down Syndrome : as long as the farmer supplies us with carrots on a more or less regular basis, we accept that some random noisome bunnies are going to get slipped a noose from time to time and, in exchange for a continued supply of carrots, we will never mention them again.
Then again, as Edward Snowden points out above, what happens when a new farmer makes changes to his end of the deal and it's too late for us to change ours?
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Glenn Greenwald on Democracy Now : A Massive Surveillance State
The National Security Agency has obtained access to the central servers of nine major internet companies -- including Google, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo and FacebookThe Guardian : The NSA Files
Michael Geist : Why Canadians Should Be Demanding Answers About Secret Surveillance Programs
The Sixth Estate : The Obama Snooping Scandal and the Inevitability of the Surveillance State and Mass Surveillance: Shamrock, Prism, and Supercomputers
Ian Welsh : The Logic of the Surveillance State
Juan Cole : PRISM : The US Government is mad at Bradley Manning for doing to it what it is doing to all of us
Ronald Diebert in the Star: U.S. online snooping: What Canadians need to know
Update : Touché from Purple Library Guy in comments :
"... except actually the bunnies got a better deal. In our case, we have a farmer who isn't actually supplying any carrots, just propagandizing us into fearing that if we don't let him keep doing his thing, some evil terrorist/commie/feminist/whatever will take our carrots away.".
10 comments:
Or when the old farmer turns out to be even worse than the one that came before him.
"mostly we are pretty contented sufferers of Watership Down Syndrome : as long as the farmer supplies us with carrots on a more or less regular basis, we accept that some random noisome bunnies are going to get slipped a noose from time to time and, in exchange for a continued supply of carrots, we will never mention them again."
Very well put!
Or when the current farmer is a constitutional law professor who is doing his damnedest to trample the Constitution . . . .
Yabbut, Bob, it's all legal and above board now under Obomba as Diane Feinstein has pointed out.
So why is it they want to prosecute Snowden for leaking it again?
watership down syndrome- brilliant
Yeah, Anon, and we're gonna believe ms. feinstein as she's been such a stellar example of truth and honesty in government over the years, huh?
It is my sincere hope that instead of prosecuting true patriots such as Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning the "representatives" in government are themselves investigated and brought up on charges of crimes against the state . . .
It's very apt, except actually the bunnies got a better deal. In our case, we have a farmer who isn't actually supplying any carrots, just propagandizing us into fearing that if we don't let him keep doing his thing, some evil terrorist/commie/feminist/whatever will take our carrots away.
Pretty amazing sacrifice from this young man.
Yourself, Sixth Estate and a few others aside, I am way past fucking disgusted with how this story is being either ignored or downplayed by so-called Canadian progressives mimicking the lefties and Democrats down south who think if they attack Snowden as a person they won't have to face what he has exposed here. Fucking bunny cowards.
Anyhow, thanks very much for this.
Keep up the good work.
Lefties didn't start the internet sniffing. It was Baby Bush. People has a short attention span and a even shorter memory. Remember the millions and millions of pages of legislation quickly following the 911 mess? That enacting that legislation so quickly must have been a record.
I must admit I view the whistleblower with some suspicion. Something seems really odd about him and the circumstances but I can't seem to put my finger on it. It seems like a test of the waters or to judge and guage the public reaction. Most seem okay with it which I find odd and scary at the same time.
Anon@11:59 : Lefties didn't start it? Who gives a flying fuck? Obama not only one-upped Baby Bush's spying legislation in 2012 but went on to wage the most egregious campaign against whistleblowers in US history. What's 'odd' about Snowden is that he outed his identity in the face of that campaign to lend credence to his info, saying his greatest fear was that citizens would do nothing with it. What's predictable is that detractors making it all about him was the same tactic once directed at Daniel Ellsberg.
Short attention span much?
Anon@10:29 : I am way past fucking disgusted with how this story is being either ignored or downplayed by so-called Canadian progressives
With you there. Of course now that other countries and former NSA types are corroborating it, it's going to be harder to dismiss.
"Dutch security service AIVD has also received information on email and social media traffic via US spy system PRISM, the Telegraaf reports on Tuesday.
If the AIVD lists an American address as suspicious, it is supplied all the information within five minutes."
BY and Bob: Yes indeed on all counts.
PLG : You're right! Added to post.
Sixth Estate : Thank you kindly. Excellent coverage from you, just excellent.
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