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If it's not one thing, it's another. No matter what Snowden did, they would come up with some excuse to trivialize his disclosures. This one is particularly e
by Amadou 13y ago
If it's not one thing, it's another. No matter what Snowden did, they would come up with some excuse to trivialize his disclosures.
This one is particularly egregious because it can be turned right back around on the US government which also claims to support transparency, freedom of the press and protection of individual rights and yet it also consorts with despots and dictators.
- genwin 13y agoLet's not forget too that the US toppled 2 democracies and thwarted another.
- adventured 13y agoNot to undermine your point at all - as the US is guilty many times over of doing terrible things in the name of overthrowing governments - but Democracy != good. Just because people can vote, doesn't mean they won't vote in evil leaders. The US elected Nixon, Bush, and Obama, after all.
- genwin 13y agoYep. We elect bad guys in large part because our democracy is flawed. At a minimum we need approval voting to loosen the stranglehold the two major parties have on us.
- Amadou 13y agoElecting bad guys (which itself is kind of a ambiguous term - what metrics and who gets to choose the metrics?) is a risk of democracy. It's kind of like seedless watermelon - if you want rich, succulent aka "good" watermelon you have to put up with the occasional seed. If you want a guarantee of no seeds then you have to accept a watermelon that doesn't taste anywhere near as "good" - maybe it is passable but it certainly isn't good. That's not to say that democracy can't be perverted, just that it can't be perfect.