Edward Snowden, Whistleblower: a truly American Hero.

Edward Snowden: “I understand that I will be made to suffer for my actions,” but “I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal pardon and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I love are revealed even for an instant.”

What a selfless and patriotic and heroic young man. And so composed. Imagine the fear and stress he’s living under. Relephant:

“Take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties. [This is] the first duty of citizens…the freemen of America did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself—they saw all the consequences in the principle, & avoided the consequences by denying the principle. We revere this lesson too much to forget it.” ~ James Madison.

“Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government’s purposes are beneficient…The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding.” ~ Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

Read the full article: Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance (guardian.co.uk)

For much, much, much more: “Constant Updates: 10 Things you need to know about the 1000s of things our Government Knows about Us.”

Video: (can’t embed, so link to Guardian):

Excerpt, Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance (guardian.co.uk)

Three weeks ago, Snowden made final preparations that resulted in last week’s series of blockbuster news stories. At the NSA office in Hawaii where he was working, he copied the last set of documents he intended to disclose.

He then advised his NSA supervisor that he needed to be away from work for “a couple of weeks” in order to receive treatment for epilepsy, a condition he learned he suffers from after a series of seizures last year.

As he packed his bags, he told his girlfriend that he had to be away for a few weeks, though he said he was vague about the reason. “That is not an uncommon occurrence for someone who has spent the last decade working in the intelligence world.”

On May 20, he boarded a flight to Hong Kong, where he has remained ever since. He chose the city because “they have a spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent”, and because he believed that it was one of the few places in the world that both could and would resist the dictates of the US government.

Read the rest: Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance (guardian.co.uk)

“…They have a spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent.”

“Funny thing about that – isn’t that supposed to be the US?“

“The greatest fear I have regarding the outcome for America of these disclosures is that nothing will change. People will see in the media all of these disclosures. They will know the lengths that the government is going to grant themselves powers unilaterally to create greater control over American society and global society, but they won’t be willing to take the risks necessary to fight to change things, to force their representatives to actually take a stand in their interests.”