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What Snowden made me realize, is that how all countries in the world are fighting for a buck, and their own interest. It's difficult to understand what is at st
by jokoon 7y ago
What Snowden made me realize, is that how all countries in the world are fighting for a buck, and their own interest. It's difficult to understand what is at stake because there is a duality between the peacefulness of civilized life, and the distrust between countries, even when they're allies, which we call diplomacy. Civilian life is structured by law, but there are no courts to sue countries when they harm each other.
Snowden highlighted a trivial fact, which is that intelligence agencies will spy. Countries will fight for their self-interest. It's important to remember that countries can do whatever they want if the citizen see that it's in their interest.
Snowden just reminded us to always keep Machiavel in mind. That's how nations operate, and I don't think the UN will change this. It goes for terrorism, oil, climate change, standard of living, electronics, trade. If something is not in the interest of a country, it will probably be dismissed.
- Waterluvian 7y agoI think you're right. I think a big problem the world has is that the big countries with all the power say and act like it's wrong when the smaller countries do it. A complete double standard.
- jacobush 7y agoI nodded at first, but something rubs me the wrong way. I don't know if you intended it, but I read this a little defeatist. I also agree countries will forever jostle their power against each other, because there is no higher court to take complaints. But there is no unwritten law which says we must let our spy orgs spy completely unfettered on their own citizens. If we let them do that, we might just as well give them the keys to the kingdom. Democracy will die, the feedback loop between corrupt leaders and the three letter orgs will eventually be to strong and everything will be a charade until there is no need for even the pretense of rule of law. This is the danger we are fighting. (With mixed success I think.)
- brbrodude 7y agoGovernments also fight for their self-interest even if against their populations. This is deffo not restricted to country x country dynamics. It's also important to remember that increasingly countries do not do what's their citizens "will", so that would be an idealized view instead of an empirical one. Also since laws are passed by gov, when it suddenly forgets to put the checks and balances for itself, it is lawlessness too.