On Edward Snowden
I've been following the Snowden whistle blower case - I've been fascinated to see where this is all going, maybe obsessed would be a better word. From doing a little introspection I realise it's because I know this guy - not him particularly, but the kind of person he represents.
In the late 90s I worked as a contractor for the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) in Arizona. I a was low-level system administrator for their Solaris boxes, hooked up to the SIPRnet. Where I worked, it was a weird mix of civilian and military types. Lot's of saluting in the hallways and security that gave an appearance of things being secure. We had hard disk degausers and signs over swipe doors that warned agains "tailgating".
Some of the people there were not well. There was a guy working on PKI certificates, reassigned from the bomb disposal team. I think he may have had PTSD, as he showered with a Beretta in a ziplock sandwich bag. The atmosphere in the place see-sawed between techie cynicism and fervent nationalism. Most of the military guys, both ex and current were certain that we were fighting against an enemy that wanted to destroy America and steal our secrets. The techie contractors tended to roll their eyes at this and get on with doing their work. Snowden reminds me of a lot of these guys. Generally wanting to do well and do the right thing - but unwilling to submit to authority or the paranoia that comes with an "ultra-secure" working environment. Snowden would have known that security warning signs and hard drive degausers do not make for real security - not when you can slide a USB thumb drive into a socket and drag and drop.
Although probably cynical and unbowing to authority figures - I doubt that Snowden would be called a slacker. In some ways he reminds me a lot of Sifters here and other "internet People". I've used the phrase "angry young men who see the world in shades of black and white" to describe people on VideoSift who are unwilling to compromise on issues, or apologise, or see a more nuanced views on situations. And although it does sound sexist - I don't mean it to be - it's just more likely to effect young males - just like Asperger syndrome.
There are clearly two sides to fervently held beliefs for which you are willing to sacrifice everything. On one side you have religious fanatics, shoe bombers, vest wearers, ultra-nationalists and religious fanatics. On the other you have whistle blowers, counter-culture leaders, trans-humanists and game changers. I'm glad that there are people who don't live in the gray murk of compromises - like Edward Snowden. I hope he makes it to Venezuela.
I'd like to hear what you guys think about where this is all going. I have some ideas about a "post state" era that we might be entering. Leave a comment.
In the late 90s I worked as a contractor for the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) in Arizona. I a was low-level system administrator for their Solaris boxes, hooked up to the SIPRnet. Where I worked, it was a weird mix of civilian and military types. Lot's of saluting in the hallways and security that gave an appearance of things being secure. We had hard disk degausers and signs over swipe doors that warned agains "tailgating".
Some of the people there were not well. There was a guy working on PKI certificates, reassigned from the bomb disposal team. I think he may have had PTSD, as he showered with a Beretta in a ziplock sandwich bag. The atmosphere in the place see-sawed between techie cynicism and fervent nationalism. Most of the military guys, both ex and current were certain that we were fighting against an enemy that wanted to destroy America and steal our secrets. The techie contractors tended to roll their eyes at this and get on with doing their work. Snowden reminds me of a lot of these guys. Generally wanting to do well and do the right thing - but unwilling to submit to authority or the paranoia that comes with an "ultra-secure" working environment. Snowden would have known that security warning signs and hard drive degausers do not make for real security - not when you can slide a USB thumb drive into a socket and drag and drop.
Although probably cynical and unbowing to authority figures - I doubt that Snowden would be called a slacker. In some ways he reminds me a lot of Sifters here and other "internet People". I've used the phrase "angry young men who see the world in shades of black and white" to describe people on VideoSift who are unwilling to compromise on issues, or apologise, or see a more nuanced views on situations. And although it does sound sexist - I don't mean it to be - it's just more likely to effect young males - just like Asperger syndrome.
There are clearly two sides to fervently held beliefs for which you are willing to sacrifice everything. On one side you have religious fanatics, shoe bombers, vest wearers, ultra-nationalists and religious fanatics. On the other you have whistle blowers, counter-culture leaders, trans-humanists and game changers. I'm glad that there are people who don't live in the gray murk of compromises - like Edward Snowden. I hope he makes it to Venezuela.
I'd like to hear what you guys think about where this is all going. I have some ideas about a "post state" era that we might be entering. Leave a comment.
8 Comments
MarineGunrockSnowden =hero. What is our fourth amendment for if not exactly this?
gwiz665He reminds me of me, but less chicken-shit.
I also think he's doing the right thing: more transparency is always better - always.
It's the old adage flipped on its head; If the government has nothing to hide, it shouldn't care. I can even understand the need for secrecy with some things, but very very few things - too much stuff is put under a "national security" blanket of secrecy and that's wrong.
I would rather risk a terrorist attack than put on chains.
Farhad2000The sheer irony of an American citizen running through China and Russia because the US wants to imprison him is so striking.
dagComment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)
He reminds me of you too! ;-)
He reminds me of me, but less chicken-shit.
I also think he's doing the right thing: more transparency is always better - always.
It's the old adage flipped on its head; If the government has nothing to hide, it shouldn't care. I can even understand the need for secrecy with some things, but very very few things - too much stuff is put under a "national security" blanket of secrecy and that's wrong.
I would rather risk a terrorist attack than put on chains.
dagComment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)
And you.
The sheer irony of an American citizen running through China and Russia because the US wants to imprison him is so striking.
gorgonheapThe whole thing seems juvenile to me. It's not like it's news that the US government has been spying on it's own people. What angers me is that they keep trying to hide it. I think Snowden reminded us of what they were doing. And I sure hope it works as a wake-up call that the rules of the game have changed.
It's near impossible to hide anything anymore in this age where you can chat around the world in a matter of seconds. And that can be used to disrupt violent activity that harms others as well as unite the world to fight injustice (also you can order pizza too, which is pretty amazing.)
Farhad2000My major problem with it is that the government/NSA claimed it disrupted terror plots because of it's surveillance. Am sorry but I call bullshit on that. Terror groups are aware of this kind of activity and wouldn't go planning anything. Human intelligence is still the best way of tackling this.
From my perspective this is just J. Edgar Hoover communist witch hunt excuses to basically keep taps on everyone Brave New World style.
MrFiskIt has all the elements of a Hollywood summer blockbuster hit -- lone protagonist makes a stand, horrified government agencies on the defense, and the beltway media missing the mark.
Unfortunately, this isn't a movie (yet). The most egregious aspect of this story, in my biased opinion, is the way journalists have so casually been lumped in and brushed under the rug by the Obama administration. For instance, before the Snowden story broke, the Department of Justice was taking heat for wiretapping and collecting information about journalists (the Fourth branch of democracy) doing their jobs. This dangerous precedent -- all in the name of national security -- leads to a less informed public, which undermines the integrity of the nation to hold itself accountable.
That said, I just hope Ashton Kutcher doesn't land the role of Snowden.
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