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One niggle I have is that both Snowden and Assange get accused of being agents of Russia. It's a ridiculously and simplistically too convenient argument and th

One niggle I have is that both Snowden and Assange get accused of being agents of Russia. It's a ridiculously and simplistically too convenient argument and therefore attractive to anyone with the slightest bias against 'information I don't like' (or a tendency towards being a 'shoot the messenger' type of person). That Assange / Wikileaks don't follow the same bias as the local US media, doesn't mean he's / they're an enemy agent. Thinking of the world in black and white like that is dangerously reductive.

dragonwriter 5y ago
> One niggle I have is that both Snowden and Assange get accused of being agents of Russia. I've never seen that about Snowden except in regard to activities after taking io residence in Russia, and even then its usually more “Snowden is subject to influence by Russia” more than “...an agent of Russia”. Assange is a different story, but the both the uncontroversial facts and the controversial detailed claims on which a conclusion about being a Russian agent might rest about Assange are different.
iratewizard 5y ago
Not to mention the chilling effect that comes with that sentiment. It reminds me of the Rick Rubin style of creating "fuck the system" propaganda. Only complain about the parts of the system that don't actively benefit me if you want to keep your record deal.
- jjulius 5y ago
  I would actually be curious to hear more about that perspective on Rick Rubin. A very cursory Google doesn't come up with much, and I'll dig a bit harder soon, but if you want to elaborate or link to something about this, I'd very much appreciate it!
  - iratewizard 5y ago
    An article I read years ago blasted him for nepotism and using typical unethical manipulation tactics to get ahead. Unfortunately, ever since Amit Singha left Google, half of the things I look for are no longer accessible.
    - jjulius 5y ago
      I'd assume that should be enough to help me find said article, we'll see. Cheers, much appreciated!
justshowpost 5y ago
Well, Snowden actually IS borderline agent of Russia since he was¹ perfectly fine with seeking KGB asylum, so right after exposing the evils of mass surveillance he relocated to... Surveillistan. ¹ Or maybe still is, presumed he's still alive and can move freely, which is highly unlikely.
- himinlomax 5y ago
  He's explained that pretty well. He didn't plan on going to Russia, he first went to HK, but he was advised that it wasn't safe for him at the time. He went to Russia because that's the only option he had. It's not just disingenuous to blame him for that, it's downright malicious.

dragonwriter 5y ago

> One niggle I have is that both Snowden and Assange get accused of being agents of Russia. I've never seen that about Snowden except in regard to activities after taking io residence in Russia, and even then its usually more “Snowden is subject to influence by Russia” more than “...an agent of Russia”. Assange is a different story, but the both the uncontroversial facts and the controversial detailed claims on which a conclusion about being a Russian agent might rest about Assange are different.

iratewizard 5y ago

Not to mention the chilling effect that comes with that sentiment. It reminds me of the Rick Rubin style of creating "fuck the system" propaganda. Only complain about the parts of the system that don't actively benefit me if you want to keep your record deal.

jjulius 5y ago
I would actually be curious to hear more about that perspective on Rick Rubin. A very cursory Google doesn't come up with much, and I'll dig a bit harder soon, but if you want to elaborate or link to something about this, I'd very much appreciate it!
- iratewizard 5y ago
  An article I read years ago blasted him for nepotism and using typical unethical manipulation tactics to get ahead. Unfortunately, ever since Amit Singha left Google, half of the things I look for are no longer accessible.
  - jjulius 5y ago
    I'd assume that should be enough to help me find said article, we'll see. Cheers, much appreciated!

justshowpost 5y ago

Well, Snowden actually IS borderline agent of Russia since he was¹ perfectly fine with seeking KGB asylum, so right after exposing the evils of mass surveillance he relocated to... Surveillistan. ¹ Or maybe still is, presumed he's still alive and can move freely, which is highly unlikely.

himinlomax 5y ago
He's explained that pretty well. He didn't plan on going to Russia, he first went to HK, but he was advised that it wasn't safe for him at the time. He went to Russia because that's the only option he had. It's not just disingenuous to blame him for that, it's downright malicious.