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Quote by Edward Snowden

“There were no whistleblower protections that would've protected me - and that's known to everybody in the intelligence community. There are no proper channels for making this information available when the system fails comprehensively.”

Quote by Edward Snowden

Author

Edward Snowden, born on June 21, 1983, is a system administrator. He is renowned for his disclosure of the global surveillance programs of the United States National Security Agency (NSA). In 2013, he leaked a large number of documents about these programs, which sparked widespread international attention. more

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“The government would assert that individuals who are aware of serious wrongdoing in the intelligence community should bring their concerns to the people most responsible for that wrongdoing, and rely on those people to correct the problems that those people themselves authorized.”

People Should Problem Government Individual Community Serious Concern Responsible Rely Wrongdoing Intelligence Community

Author:Edward Snowden

“Going all the way back to Daniel Ellsberg, it is clear that the government is not concerned with damage to national security, because in none of these cases was there damage.”

Way Government Cases Clear Security Concerned Damage National Security

Author:Edward Snowden

“At the trial of Chelsea Manning, the government could point to no case of specific damage that had been caused by the massive revelation of classified information. The charges are a reaction to the government's embarrassment more than genuine concern about these activities, or they would substantiate what harms were done.”

Done Government Cases Information Activity Concern Harm Genuine Trials Reactions Damage Revelations Massive Embarrassment Chelsea Classified Information Genuine Concern

Author:Edward Snowden

“We're now more than a year since my NSA revelations, and despite numerous hours of testimony before Congress, despite tons of off-the-record quotes from anonymous officials who have an ax to grind, not a single US official, not a single representative of the United States government, has ever pointed to a single case of individualized harm caused by these revelations. This, despite the fact that former NSA director Keith Alexander said this would cause grave and irrevocable harm to the nation.”

“Some months after [Keith Alexander] made that statement [Edward Snowden cause grave and irrevocable harm to the nation], the new director of the NSA, Michael Rogers, said that, in fact, he doesn't see the sky falling. It's not so serious after all.”

Made Said Facts Fall Nations Causes Sky Serious Months Directors Harm Graves Statements Roger Nsa Keith Irrevocable Snowden

Author:Edward Snowden

“There's a real danger in the way our representative government functions today. It functions properly only when paired with accountability.”

Way Real Government Today Danger Function Accountability Representatives Representative Government

Author:Edward Snowden

“Candidates run for election on campaign promises, but once they're elected they renege on those promises, which happened with President [Barack] Obama on Guantánamo, the surveillance programs and investigating the crimes of the Bush administration. These were very serious campaign promises that were not fulfilled.”

Running President Happened Crime Serious Promise Program Election Campaigns Administration Barack Candidates Fulfilled Surveillance President Barack Obama Investigating

Author:Edward Snowden

“I considered bringing forward information about these surveillance programs prior to the election, but I held off because I believed that [Barack] Obama was genuine when he said he was going to change things. I wanted to give the democratic process time to work.”

Giving Said Wanted Process Information Program Election Democratic Genuine Barack Surveillance Democratic Process

Author:Edward Snowden

“It also comes down to parenting. It is important to know what your beliefs are, and that you have to stand up for them or you don't really believe in them. You know, my father and mother - in fact, every member of my immediate family - have worked for the federal government. Sometimes misunderstood is that I didn't stand up to overthrow the system.”

Knows Believe Important Sometimes Facts Government Mother Father Belief Members Federal Government Misunderstood Immediate Family

Author:Edward Snowden

“What I wanted to do was give society the information it needed to decide if it wanted to change the system.”

Ifs Giving Wanted Information Needed

Author:Edward Snowden