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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsEdward Snowden Is Winning
Earlier this month, Politico warned that Edward Snowden's "nightmare may be coming true" that is, that his efforts would yield no systemic change. Even at the time, that was an iffy argument. But now it seems that the opposite is the case. Edward Snowden may be getting everything his heart desired: a change in policies, a shift in attitudes, and perhaps surprising even himself personal freedom.
When Snowden first reached out to reporters, offering details on the National Security Agency's surveillance systems, he did so with some trepidation. "I understand that I will be made to suffer for my actions," he wrote in one of his first communications with The Guardian's Glenn Greenwald, but "I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal pardon and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I love are revealed even for an instant." In a video interview with the paper, he spoke the line that was the focal point of that Politico article:
The greatest fear that I have regarding the outcome for America of these disclosures is that nothing will change. People will see in the media all of these disclosures. They'll know the lengths that the government is going to grant themselves powers unilaterally to create greater control over American society and global society. But they won't be willing to take the risks necessary to stand up and fight to change things to force their representatives to actually take a stand in their interests.
Which brings us to today.
Policy changes are moving forward. Later today, the House of Representatives will vote on an amendment to a Department of Defense spending bill that would rescind any funding that could be used by the NSA to collect metadata on phone calls one of the aspects of the agency's surveillance revealed by Snowden.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/07/edward-snowden-winning/67541/
AzDar
(14,023 posts)being perpetrated by our government against its own citizenry, and for that, he deserves our thanks, respect, and protection.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)and don't like what they see is going on at NSA and in many corners of the US intelligence establishment. This is coming together as part of a Perfect Storm as the US plunges further into the muck of the Syrian civil war the Obama Administration covertly helped to create, which is spreading into a raging regional and global religious war between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi'ia Iran.
What could possibly go wrong with all that?
JTFrog
(14,274 posts)leveymg
(36,418 posts)Chris Taylor: Come on. You really think so? Us?
Sgt. Elias: We been kicking other peoples asses for so long, I figured it's time we got ours kicked.
MNBrewer
(8,462 posts)Arctic Dave
(13,812 posts)I see what you did there.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)tridim
(45,358 posts)Remember, it's not about Snowden.
railsback
(1,881 posts)[img][/img]
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)N_E_1 for Tennis
(9,773 posts)KoKo
(84,711 posts)Douglas Carpenter
(20,226 posts)GreedIsGood
(20 posts)OnyxCollie
(9,958 posts)AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)The NSA could probably self-fund anything that it wants to do.
Progressive dog
(6,918 posts)It might pass the RW house since there are lots of Republicans that will do anything to attack Obama, but forget the Senate. The best Snowden can hope for is a home that isn't in an airport.