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Snowden is one of those guys like Stallman who you can disagree with and think their position is extreme but it is foolish to completely dismiss them. There is

by shirro 2y ago

Snowden is one of those guys like Stallman who you can disagree with and think their position is extreme but it is foolish to completely dismiss them. There is currently a gold rush to circumvent IP rights and exploit the works of billions without attribution or remuneration while society and legislators are sleeping.

cainxinth 2y ago
Richard Stallman has never done a single thing to make me believe he’s anything other than motivated by deeply held principles rooted in the right to privacy and other individual liberties. Snowden’s true motivations are far less certain.
- redeeman 2y ago
  > Snowden’s true motivations are far less certain. based on what? do you understand what he risked and is sacrifising for letting you know what was illegally done?
  - jhbadger 2y ago
    The problem with a whistleblower from an intelligence agency is much like one from a tobacco company. Yes, they may be nobler than their peers in those institutions who didn't blow the whistle, but at the end of the day, they are the sort of person who would work at an intelligence agency or tobacco company in the first place.
    - m463 2y ago
      You seem to imply that someone working for an intelligence agency is of poor character. There are good people in intelligence agencies. And there are also good whistleblowers.
      - jhbadger 2y ago
        It's difficult to imagine a person of good character, knowing the atrocities intelligence agencies regularly do (overthrow inconvenient foreign governments, spy on and blackmail civil rights and other groups trying to make a better society) joining such an agency. At best they simply don't care about being associated with such a agency. Otherwise they actually enjoy the idea. We knew since the 1960s the crap intelligence agencies do.
        talldayo 2y ago
        > At best they simply don't care about being associated with such a agency. Otherwise they actually enjoy the idea. You can assume that, but it's like saying that anyone working in big tech supports child labor in lithium mines. In the strictest sense you're kinda right, but a lot of these people are legitimately stupid and don't know how the sausage is made or think they're one of the "good guys". I'd rather those people have a late change-of-heart than continue to stay complicit in things we can both easily agree are immoral.
    - gklitz 2y ago
      > but at the end of the day, they are the sort of person who would work at an intelligence agency or tobacco company in the first place. Yes? Snowdens position was never that the government shouldn’t be allowed to spy on citizens, it was just that individual warrants should be sought instead of what he perceived as illegal “catch all” approvals of broad spying on everyone.
    - Log_out_ 2y ago
      So you resent him for having lungs that could blow a whistle?

by shirro 2y ago

cainxinth 2y ago

Richard Stallman has never done a single thing to make me believe he’s anything other than motivated by deeply held principles rooted in the right to privacy and other individual liberties. Snowden’s true motivations are far less certain.

redeeman 2y ago
> Snowden’s true motivations are far less certain. based on what? do you understand what he risked and is sacrifising for letting you know what was illegally done?
- jhbadger 2y ago
  The problem with a whistleblower from an intelligence agency is much like one from a tobacco company. Yes, they may be nobler than their peers in those institutions who didn't blow the whistle, but at the end of the day, they are the sort of person who would work at an intelligence agency or tobacco company in the first place.
  - m463 2y ago
    You seem to imply that someone working for an intelligence agency is of poor character. There are good people in intelligence agencies. And there are also good whistleblowers.
    - jhbadger 2y ago
      It's difficult to imagine a person of good character, knowing the atrocities intelligence agencies regularly do (overthrow inconvenient foreign governments, spy on and blackmail civil rights and other groups trying to make a better society) joining such an agency. At best they simply don't care about being associated with such a agency. Otherwise they actually enjoy the idea. We knew since the 1960s the crap intelligence agencies do.
      - talldayo 2y ago
        > At best they simply don't care about being associated with such a agency. Otherwise they actually enjoy the idea. You can assume that, but it's like saying that anyone working in big tech supports child labor in lithium mines. In the strictest sense you're kinda right, but a lot of these people are legitimately stupid and don't know how the sausage is made or think they're one of the "good guys". I'd rather those people have a late change-of-heart than continue to stay complicit in things we can both easily agree are immoral.
  - gklitz 2y ago
    > but at the end of the day, they are the sort of person who would work at an intelligence agency or tobacco company in the first place. Yes? Snowdens position was never that the government shouldn’t be allowed to spy on citizens, it was just that individual warrants should be sought instead of what he perceived as illegal “catch all” approvals of broad spying on everyone.
  - Log_out_ 2y ago
    So you resent him for having lungs that could blow a whistle?