5 ms·

I find this kind of thing particularly interesting because I am the same age as Snowden. For reference, 9/11 is one of the defining events of my adult life. It

I find this kind of thing particularly interesting because I am the same age as Snowden. For reference, 9/11 is one of the defining events of my adult life. It happened during freshman physics lecture on my second week of classes at MIT. I considered joining the military, I protested in the streets against the war in Iraq. I remember the Patriot act being passed very well, and remember wishing people could see how shortsighted it was at the time. There is a particularly clarity (cough naivete) that comes with being 18 years old. I feel like people who are much older than me remember previous major government corruption issues like Iran-Contra which I was only three years old for. I feel like people who are much younger than me don't have any frame of reference for a time when surveillance wasn't the assumed state of affairs. So, this fellow is particularly interesting to me because it seems like he, like me, has had his perspective on what the USA is defined by 9/11, the Patriot Act, the Afghanistan and Iraq not-wars, and a financial collapse. I don't know that I really have a point; these issues are so multifaceted that I can't really consider them without being overwhelmed. I do hope that this combined with the IRS scandal and the phone taps on reporters will push the electorate in a more libertarian direction. But I'm not counting on it, people are incredibly selfish in practice and vote for their perceived short-term interests even when their interests violate the liberties of others. That seems to in this culture just be standard practice, and if that's part of the culture I don't think things are going to go anywhere good.

dllthomas 13y ago
"push the electorate in a more libertarian direction" Everyone agrees things should be more libertarian along certain axes, but most object to things being more libertarian along other axes, and there's not as much overlap as one would hope. This is not mostly meant as a criticism of anything you've said, just a tangent...
m52go 13y ago
Have you seen the spin the mainstream media is putting on this issue? It's sickening. If the issue is covered (earlier, CNN felt it necessary to talk about oversized rubber-duckies and some phenomenon called 'crazy ants' instead), coverage NEVER questions the existence of the surveillance itself. Instead, the WAY the government handles the surveillance is questioned (contracting it out, etc). So, yes, in a perfect world, people would see this news and question it, where 'it' is the existence of such egregious surveillance measures. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans aren't that thorough in their thinking, and instead will ponder the questions the mainstream media feeds them. And these questions just so happen to be pure bullshit.
- hkmurakami 13y ago
  >coverage NEVER questions the existence of the surveillance itself. Instead, the WAY the government handles the surveillance is questioned (contracting it out, etc). So true. I saw a headline today that read "Booz Allen contracts in jeapoardy after NSA leak?" and I thought really? that's what's what we should be asking for? Well at least in my family the dialogue has been: wow, what a young, smart, brave guy.
  - wmeredith 13y ago
    CNN did a whole segment tonight on Snowden titled "Patriot or Traitor?"
riggins 13y ago
I feel like people who are much younger than me don't have any frame of reference for a time when surveillance wasn't the assumed state of affairs. It's mind blowing to realize there are people who are too young to have experienced how different the pre-9/11 world was.
- neltnerb 13y ago
  I think they all enjoy this show: http://bcove.me/ktrt5nu0 http://bcove.me/ktrt5nu0

dllthomas 13y ago

"push the electorate in a more libertarian direction" Everyone agrees things should be more libertarian along certain axes, but most object to things being more libertarian along other axes, and there's not as much overlap as one would hope. This is not mostly meant as a criticism of anything you've said, just a tangent...

m52go 13y ago

Have you seen the spin the mainstream media is putting on this issue? It's sickening. If the issue is covered (earlier, CNN felt it necessary to talk about oversized rubber-duckies and some phenomenon called 'crazy ants' instead), coverage NEVER questions the existence of the surveillance itself. Instead, the WAY the government handles the surveillance is questioned (contracting it out, etc). So, yes, in a perfect world, people would see this news and question it, where 'it' is the existence of such egregious surveillance measures. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans aren't that thorough in their thinking, and instead will ponder the questions the mainstream media feeds them. And these questions just so happen to be pure bullshit.

hkmurakami 13y ago
>coverage NEVER questions the existence of the surveillance itself. Instead, the WAY the government handles the surveillance is questioned (contracting it out, etc). So true. I saw a headline today that read "Booz Allen contracts in jeapoardy after NSA leak?" and I thought really? that's what's what we should be asking for? Well at least in my family the dialogue has been: wow, what a young, smart, brave guy.
- wmeredith 13y ago
  CNN did a whole segment tonight on Snowden titled "Patriot or Traitor?"

riggins 13y ago

I feel like people who are much younger than me don't have any frame of reference for a time when surveillance wasn't the assumed state of affairs. It's mind blowing to realize there are people who are too young to have experienced how different the pre-9/11 world was.

neltnerb 13y ago
I think they all enjoy this show: http://bcove.me/ktrt5nu0 http://bcove.me/ktrt5nu0