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Snowden unveiled a horrifying truth about our government: widespread surveillance has been combined with a class of officials who do not face consequences for b
by sage_joch 13y ago
Snowden unveiled a horrifying truth about our government: widespread surveillance has been combined with a class of officials who do not face consequences for breaking the law. I don't think it's hyperbolic to say that the Constitution is facing an existential threat. Normally I would be sympathetic to the view that politics should stay off HN. But this feels different. I would hope that people wouldn't self-censor their counter-arguments, however. The possibility that things aren't quite as bad as I suspect helps me sleep at night. And the truth is, there is reason for hope.
- tptacek 13y agoHere, the predictable impassioned defense of hyperbole.
- dylangs1030 13y agoThe Constitution is not under any kind of "existential" threat. You should be more worried about citizens not knowing their own Constitution than you should be worried about the government breaking it. Literally any valid view of American history would immediately demonstrate that we are moving forward in terms of overall liberty, not backward. With the possible exception of disenfranchised minority groups and lower classes, there has been increasing political transparency and quality of life in every respect, and the former are only still mistreated because of the power vacuum in their communities. The only reason why this is so outrageous is because people have short memories - I doubt many people are as shocked at this who lived through the Nixon Watergate scandal. That kind of corruption wouldn't so easily take place today.