General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Re: Attacks on Snowden, Greenwald. How the fuck do people like that sleep at night? [View all]LiberalLovinLug
(14,174 posts)There is a vast difference between a minority of diligent political junkies, like those in here, knowing it, and it being admitted to on a national scale. Clapper at first lied to congress that any such mass surveillance program was in existence. Now you and I may have called bullshit on that, but too many people either will believe that lie, or more than likely will have the opinion that they may or may not be spying on them, and so if they don't know for certain then they are not going to worry about it, there is no use.
For decades there was a suspicion that the tobacco industry was not being honest when it released their own "scientific papers" showing tobacco was very low risk. It wasn't until Jeffrey Wigand went public to provide the proof that they were lying that real debate and change could occur.
It was solely because of Snowden's revelations and Greenwald having the courage to print them that Clapper had to go back to Congress and admit he lied and in fact the NSA did have a mass surveillance program on American citizens. And it was only then that a national debate was started on the right balance between individual privacy vs. State security. A debate still going on and one that was long overdue. What both of these men risked to do was very very important and beneficial to the progressive advancement of transparency and citizens rights in a democratic society.
And denigrating GG and ES actions to a "dog-and-pony show" or "smoke-and-mirrors" act is hyperbole at its finest and does nothing to contribute to the conversation.