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
We have seen enough criminality on the part of government. It is hypocritical to make this allegation against me. They have narrowed the public sphere of influence.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques government hypocrisy and its impact on public discourse.
Edward Snowden's quote highlights the contradictions of government officials who accuse individuals of wrongdoing while themselves engaging in unethical behavior. He argues that this hypocrisy undermines the public's trust and limits open dialogue, suggesting that those in power have a responsibility to adhere to higher standards of conduct.
Themes
GovernmentHypocrisyCriminalityPublic SphereTrust
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a debate about government surveillance to illustrate the inconsistency in government accountability.
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?
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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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