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Less of an interview and more of a platform for Snowden to reiterate his views, but still good to hear directly from the horse's mouth. He says he's no good at
by recondite 12y ago
Less of an interview and more of a platform for Snowden to reiterate his views, but still good to hear directly from the horse's mouth. He says he's no good at public speaking, but it's clear that he is very articulate, very thoughtful, and had the courage to act on his convictions despite the extraordinary threat to his personal safety. If I were to define what makes a strong public figure, it would be those three characteristics.
His commentary during the 2016 presidential election will be interesting to hear, at the least (assuming he hasn't struck a deal with the US to come back before then).
- hueving 12y agoWhat is the "extraordinary threat" to his personal safety at this point? Any assassination attempt at this point would create such a political backlash in the US that he is essentially untouchable.
- recondite 12y ago"had" - I was referring to when he first blew the whistle, not conducting this interview.
- rational-future 12y agoHah, I personally don't really believe this. There are so many things in US politics that are obviously corrupt (e.g. NSA and RSI deleting files before congress hearings). None of them generated a backlash significant enough to change anything.
- r12s 12y agoThe threat doesn't need to be as extreme (or binary) as assassination, presumably you mean by a government? Incarceration in a Federal prison and/or torture under questioning are imho personal threats to safety. And cynically I believe any "backlash" would last about as long as the media cycle at the time.
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- veidr 12y agoWhat he faces if caught is being brutally caged in solitary confinement for the rest of his life. I think that is an "extraordinary threat" and actually probably worse than being assassinated.
- ripb 12y ago>Any assassination attempt at this point would create such a political backlash in the US that he is essentially untouchable I'm not so sure about this. If he was assassinated, it would be reported as a suicide or an accident, and there would be a concerted effort online to label anything that questioned this narrative as being in the same realm as conspiracies about lizard people.
- rhizome 12y agoAssassination is not the worst thing that someone can do to you.
- ap22213 12y agoLiving within the DC area, I've met a bunch of people who work at the 'state department' and who seem to be active agents in the discrediting of Snowden. And, it's this discrediting (similar to what has been done with Assange) that is more effective.