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Quote by Edward Snowden

“Our rights are not granted by governments. They are inherent to our nature. But it's entirely the opposite for governments: their privileges are precisely equal to only those which we suffer them to enjoy.”

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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“Nobody needs to justify why they "need" a right: the burden of justification falls on the one seeking to infringe upon the right. But even if they did, you can't give away the rights of others because they're not useful to you. More simply, the majority cannot vote away the natural rights of the minority. Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”

Needs Giving Different Care Fall Natural Rights Speech Vote Majority Seeking Burden Don't Care Arguing Privacy Minorities Justify Justification Free Speech Natural Rights Right To Privacy

Author:Edward Snowden

“Encryption works. Properly implemented strong crypto systems are one of the few things that you can rely on. Unfortunately, endpoint security is so terrifically weak that NSA can frequently find ways around it.”

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Author:Edward Snowden

“To permit surveillance to take root on the Internet would mean subjecting virtually all forms of human interaction, planning, and even thought itself to comprehensive state examination.”

Humans Mean States Form Internet Roots Planning Permit Interaction Examination Comprehensive Surveillance

Book:No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State

Source: No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State

“All of the evidence highlights the implicit bargain that is offered to citizens: pose no challenge and you have nothing to worry about. Mind your own business, and support or at least tolerate what we do, and you'll be fine. Put differently, you must refrain from provoking the authority that wields surveillance powers if you wish to be deemed free of wrongdoing. This is a deal that invites passivity, obedience, and conformity. The safest course, the way to ensure being “left alone,” is to remain quiet, unthreatening, and compliant.”

“A key purpose of journalism is to provide an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what they do in the dark, and informing the public about those acts.”

Light Purpose Dark Keys Shining Checks Journalism Informing

Author:Glenn Greenwald

“I personally think honestly disclosing rather than hiding ones subjective values makes for more honest and trustworthy journalism. But no journalism - from the most stylistically objective to the most brazenly opinionated - has any real value unless it is grounded in facts, evidence, and verifiable data.”

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Author:Glenn Greenwald

“An elite class that is free to operate without limits - whether limits imposed by the rule of law or fear of the responses from those harmed by their behavior - is an elite class that will plunder, degrade, and cheat at will, and act endlessly to fortify its own power.”

Law Class Limits Behavior Response Elites Cheat Rule Of Law Degrade Plunder

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“If you enjoy math and you write novels, it's very rare that you'll get a chance to put your math into a novel. I leapt at the chance.”

Ifs Writing Enjoy Chance Novel Math

Author:Mark Haddon

“The definition of an extreme authoritarian is one who is willing blindly to assume that government accusations are true without any evidence presented or opportunity to contest those accusations.”

Government Opportunity Willing Evidence Assuming Definitions Extremes Contests Accusation

Author:Glenn Greenwald

“What is the most important thing you could be working on in the world right now? ... And if you're not working on that, why aren't you?”

Ifs World Important Motivational Work Right Now Importance Important Things Motivational Work

Author:Aaron Swartz