The NSA has built an infrastructure that allows it to intercept almost everything. Edward Snowden More Quotes by Edward Snowden More Quotes From Edward Snowden My perspective is if you're not willing to be called a few names to help out your country, you don't care enough. Edward Snowden perspective names country You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to the Constitution - to protect it against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That's the oath that I kept, that James Clapper and former NSA director Keith Alexander did not. You raise your hand and you take the oath in your class when you are on board. All government officials are made to do it who work for the intelligence agencies - at least, that's where I took the oath. Edward Snowden nsa class hands I told the government I'd volunteer for prison, as long as it served the right purpose. Edward Snowden volunteer government long My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them. Edward Snowden nsa done names If I defected at all, I defected from the government to the public Edward Snowden government ifs As inequality grows, the basic bonds of social fraternity are fraying - as we discussed in regard to Occupy Wall Street. As tensions increase, people will become more willing to engage in protest. But that moment is not now. Edward Snowden wall moments people Properly implemented strong crypto systems are one of the few things that you can rely on. Edward Snowden encryption rely strong The great fear that I have regarding the outcome for America of these disclosures is that nothing will change. [People] won't be willing to take the risks necessary to stand up and fight to change things And in the months ahead, the years ahead, it's only going to get worse. [The NSA will] say that because of the crisis, the dangers that we face in the world, some new and unpredicted threat, we need more authority, we need more power, and there will be nothing the people can do at that point to oppose it. And it will be turnkey tyranny. Edward Snowden nsa fighting years Before 2013, if you said the NSA was making records of everybody's phone calls and the [Government Communications Headquarters] was monitoring lawyers and journalists, people raised eyebrows and called you a conspiracy theorist. Those days are over. Edward Snowden nsa eyebrows communication I have a somewhat sneaky way of effecting political change. Edward Snowden political-change political way The state says: "Well, in order for it to be legitimate civil disobedience, you have to follow these rules." They put us in "free-speech zones"; they say you can only do it at this time, and in this way, and you can't interrupt the functioning of the government. They limit the impact that civil disobedience can achieve. We have to remember that civil disobedience must be disobedience if it's to be effective. Edward Snowden impact government order The consent of the governed is not consent if it is not informed. Edward Snowden consent-of-the-governed consent ifs I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal pardon and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I love are revealed even for an instant. Edward Snowden government-spying secret law They [the authorities] will act aggressively against anyone who has known me. That keeps me up at night. Edward Snowden known authority night I have used mass surveillance to target people, so I do know how it works. Edward Snowden surveillance target people A lot of people in 2008 voted for Obama. I did not vote for him. I voted for a third party. But I believed in Obama's promises. Edward Snowden party people promise In the United States the White House has appointed two different independent panels who had full access to classified information for the last 10 years that master balance has been in place in the United States, and they found that despite intercepting the calls - everybody in the country, - it had never stopped a single terrorist attack. So the question is, why would these officials be pursuing these policies, if we know they don't work, if they don't stop terrorism? Edward Snowden independent country years You will never be completely free from risk if you're free. The only time you can be free from risk is when you're in prison. Edward Snowden risk prison ifs I wasn't trying to change the laws or slow down the machine. Maybe I should have. My critics say that I was not revolutionary enough. But they forget that I am a product of the system. I worked those desks, I know those people and I still have some faith in them, that the services can be reformed. Edward Snowden revolutionary trying people Individuals have international duties which transcend the national obligations of obedience. Therefore individual citizens have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring. Edward Snowden citizens humanity law
