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 believe that at this point in history, the greatest danger to our freedom and way of life comes from the reasonable fear of omniscient State powers kept in check by nothing more than policy documents.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote warns against the dangers of unchecked government power and the misplaced trust in policies to safeguard freedom.
Edward Snowden's quote reflects on the precarious balance between state power and individual freedom. It emphasizes the need for vigilance against the rise of state surveillance and control, suggesting that relying solely on policies without proper oversight may lead to the erosion of liberties. He indicates that mere documents are not enough to protect citizens from potential abuses by a powerful government, highlighting the importance of accountability and transparency in governance.
Themes
FreedomGovernmentSurveillancePolicyState PowerAccountability
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on civil liberties, one could use this quote to illustrate the thin line between security and freedom.
More from Edward Snowden
All quotes →I 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.
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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?
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A child born today will grow up with no conception of privacy at all.
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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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