It's important that we elevate and primarily focus on the rights of American citizens, but it's also important that we don't forget, 95 percent of the world's population lives beyond our own borders.
Edward SnowdenRead
I am not trying to bring down the NSA, I am working to improve the NSA. I am still working for the NSA right now. They are the only ones who don't realize it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects Edward Snowden's intention to reform rather than dismantle the NSA, emphasizing his commitment to improvement over destruction.
Edward Snowden expresses his belief that his actions are not meant to undermine the National Security Agency (NSA), but rather to enhance its operations. He suggests that he continues to support the NSA in secret, indicating his hope for reform while operating from within the system, highlighting a complex relationship between loyalty, ethics, and accountability in intelligence work.
Themes
NsasupportReformAccountabilityCitizenshipEthics
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on ethics in government, I might quote Snowden to emphasize the importance of reform over destruction.
More from Edward Snowden
All quotes βI think the most important idea is to remember that there have been times throughout American history where what is right is not the same as what is legal.
Edward SnowdenRead
Congress hasn't declared war on the countries - the majority of them are our allies - but without asking for public permission, NSA is running network operations against them that affect millions of innocent people. And for what? So we can have secret access to a computer in a country we're not even fighting?
Edward SnowdenRead
A child born today will grow up with no conception of privacy at all.
Edward SnowdenRead
Being called a traitor by Dick Cheney is the highest honor you can give an American, and the more panicked talk we hear from people like him... the better off we all are.
Edward SnowdenRead
I don't see myself as a hero because what I'm doing is self-interested: I don't want to live in a world where there's no privacy and therefore no room for intellectual exploration and creativity.
Edward SnowdenRead
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