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
Society really seems to have developed an unquestioning obedience towards spooky types… Did we get to where we are today via a slippery slope that was entirely within our control to stop? Or was it a relatively instantaneous sea change that sneaked in undetected because of pervasive government secrecy?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on society's obedience to authority and questions the nature of changes and control within societal structures.
In this quote, Edward Snowden contemplates the dynamics of societal obedience, particularly towards those in authority, and the implications of government secrecy. He raises critical questions about whether the progression towards our current state was a gradual, controllable decline or a sudden shift that occurred unnoticed, highlighting concerns about free will and awareness in the face of systemic control.
Themes
SocietyObedienceAuthorityGovernmentSecrecy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the responsibilities of citizens in a democratic society during a debate.
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.
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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