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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Naked Empire
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/06/28-0America, America . . .
Certainly Edward Snowdens crime is one of public relations. In this day and age, power aint just jackboots, tanks and missiles. What he did by outing the NSA and its gargantuan surveillance operation was mess hugely with the American image the American brand with its irresistible combination of might and right.
Thats the nature of his treason. The secret he gave away was pretty much the same one the little boy blurted out in Hans Christian Andersens tale: The emperor has no clothes! That is, the governments security industry isnt devoted, with benevolent righteousness, to protecting the American public. Instead, its obsessively irrational, bent on accumulating data on every phone call we make. Its a berserk spy machine, seemingly to no sane end. How awkward.
For instance, the government of Hong Kong, in refusing to extradite Snowden as per the Obama administrations request, explained in its refusal letter that it has formally written to the U.S. Government requesting clarification on reports about the hacking of computer systems in Hong Kong by U.S. government agencies. It will follow up on the matter, to protect the legal rights of people of Hong Kong.
In other words, sorry, Naked Empire. Were not going to do what you ask, and by the way, we have some issues with your behavior wed like to discuss.
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The Naked Empire (Original Post)
xchrom
Jun 2013
OP
Yes but the U.S. "land of the free" is/was supposed to be better, maybe it's just
Uncle Joe
Jun 2013
#7
marmar
(77,081 posts)1. Naked, and its ass is showing.
K&R
MichaelMcGuire
(1,684 posts)3. Rec
ProSense
(116,464 posts)4. Evidently,
"The Naked Empire"
...there is more than one.
The Errors of Edward Snowden and His Global Hypocrisy Tour
By Kurt Eichenwald
<...>
The irony of someone purportedly dedicated to privacy and human rights aiding the Chinese government grew even starker while Snowden was in Hong Kong. Last week, Human Rights Watch issued a report condemning a massive surveillance campaign undertaken by the Chinese government in Tibetan villages, which results in political re-education of those who may question the Communist regime and the establishment of partisan security units. These tactics discriminate against those perceived as potentially disloyal, and restrict their freedom of religion and opinion, Human Rights Watch wrote.
But hey, thats just real life, not the Internet privacy that concerns Snowden. And, of course, the level of the Chinese governments surveillance and control of their citizens use of the Internet is almost an art form. Just six months ago, Chinas legislative body, the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, adopted the Decision to Strengthen the Protection of Online Information. The new rules, which Human Rights Watch says threaten security and privacy of internet users, require telecommunications providers to collect reams of personal information about customers who sign up for Internet, landline, or cell-phone service. The law also requires for the providers to insure they have the ability to immediately identify the real names of people who post comments under pseudonyms. Guess why? In the days following the decision, Human Rights Watch reported, several well-known online activists found that their weibo micro-blogging accounts had been shut down.
As for Russia, the crackdown on public activism has intensified in recent months, which, again, has led to Human Rights Watch issuing a report just a few weeks before Snowden landed in Moscow. The crackdown is threatening civil society, said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. The EU has spoken out strongly in recent months, but now is the time to directly call on Russias leadership to revise restrictive laws and stop the harassment of independent groups. Primarily, the Russians are going after hundreds of rights groups and related activist organizations as part of a massive campaign to force them to register as foreign agents. The authorities are seeking to define political so broadly as to make any involvement in public life that is not controlled by the government off-limits, Williamson said. They are also trying to tarnish groups with the foreign agents label, which in Russia can only mean spy.
And what about Ecuador? Why, just two weeks ago, this country that is apparently on Snowdens list of possible future homes passed new rules that impede free expression. The statute, called the Communications Law, prohibits anyone from disseminating information through the media that might undermine the prestige or credibility of a person or institution (you know, like revealing a government-sponsored surveillance program). The law also places burdens on journalists, making them subject to civil or criminal penalties for publishing information that serves to undermine the security of the state (you know, like revealing a government-sponsored surveillance program).
- more -
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/eichenwald/2013/06/errors-edward-snowden-global-hypocrisy-tour
By Kurt Eichenwald
<...>
The irony of someone purportedly dedicated to privacy and human rights aiding the Chinese government grew even starker while Snowden was in Hong Kong. Last week, Human Rights Watch issued a report condemning a massive surveillance campaign undertaken by the Chinese government in Tibetan villages, which results in political re-education of those who may question the Communist regime and the establishment of partisan security units. These tactics discriminate against those perceived as potentially disloyal, and restrict their freedom of religion and opinion, Human Rights Watch wrote.
But hey, thats just real life, not the Internet privacy that concerns Snowden. And, of course, the level of the Chinese governments surveillance and control of their citizens use of the Internet is almost an art form. Just six months ago, Chinas legislative body, the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, adopted the Decision to Strengthen the Protection of Online Information. The new rules, which Human Rights Watch says threaten security and privacy of internet users, require telecommunications providers to collect reams of personal information about customers who sign up for Internet, landline, or cell-phone service. The law also requires for the providers to insure they have the ability to immediately identify the real names of people who post comments under pseudonyms. Guess why? In the days following the decision, Human Rights Watch reported, several well-known online activists found that their weibo micro-blogging accounts had been shut down.
As for Russia, the crackdown on public activism has intensified in recent months, which, again, has led to Human Rights Watch issuing a report just a few weeks before Snowden landed in Moscow. The crackdown is threatening civil society, said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. The EU has spoken out strongly in recent months, but now is the time to directly call on Russias leadership to revise restrictive laws and stop the harassment of independent groups. Primarily, the Russians are going after hundreds of rights groups and related activist organizations as part of a massive campaign to force them to register as foreign agents. The authorities are seeking to define political so broadly as to make any involvement in public life that is not controlled by the government off-limits, Williamson said. They are also trying to tarnish groups with the foreign agents label, which in Russia can only mean spy.
And what about Ecuador? Why, just two weeks ago, this country that is apparently on Snowdens list of possible future homes passed new rules that impede free expression. The statute, called the Communications Law, prohibits anyone from disseminating information through the media that might undermine the prestige or credibility of a person or institution (you know, like revealing a government-sponsored surveillance program). The law also places burdens on journalists, making them subject to civil or criminal penalties for publishing information that serves to undermine the security of the state (you know, like revealing a government-sponsored surveillance program).
- more -
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/eichenwald/2013/06/errors-edward-snowden-global-hypocrisy-tour
Some links from the piece:
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/06/18/china-benefit-masses-campaign-surveilling-tibetans
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/01/04/china-renewed-restrictions-send-online-chill
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/06/03/russiaeu-focus-rights-summit
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/06/17/ecuador-end-assault-free-speech
Ecuador threatens legal action against leaker of invalid travel document for Snowden
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023114430
Uncle Joe
(58,365 posts)7. Yes but the U.S. "land of the free" is/was supposed to be better, maybe it's just
that we had superior propaganda.
It seems to me that if we measure ourselves against Communist or authoritarian regimes as our models, then we have no where go except downward.
raccoon
(31,111 posts)5. From the article--and this is true of any government:
" at least as far as the government is concerned, because, when you strip away the public relations mask, the primary interest of government is the perpetuation of power. And anyone who interferes with that perpetuation, even, or especially, in the name of principle, is a security risk.
siligut
(12,272 posts)6. I say we make it all about the NSA
Do you throw away a house because the toilet overflows? Of course not. You call in a plumber and clean out the shit.
baldguy
(36,649 posts)8. More hero worship for the liar?
As if threatening to expose active US intelligence agents around the world is the action of a hero.