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Snowden Nominated For Freedom of Thought Prize

Posted by samzenpus on from the is-there-a-trophy? dept.

First time accepted submitter DigitalKhaos23 writes "Snowden is a candidate for the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Soviet scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, which honors people or organizations for their work in the defense of human rights and freedom of thought. The article adds: 'Edward Snowden risked his life to confirm what we had long suspected regarding mass online surveillance, a major scandal of our times. He revealed details of violations of EU data protection law and fundamental rights.'"

12 of 212 comments (clear)

  1. Lets give him Obama's Nobel Prize by Todd+Palin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Let's take Obama's Nobel Prize away and give it to Snowden.

    1. Re:Lets give him Obama's Nobel Prize by epyT-R · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I agree 100%. He's done more for liberty in the USA than any politician has done in 50 years. he's actually managed to push surveillance as a topic of conversation at the average american's dinner table. That alone is an excellent achievement, nevermind the rest he has done.

    2. Re:Lets give him Obama's Nobel Prize by SuricouRaven · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Obama won the prize for the achievement of not being Bush.

  2. Yes. And. But. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Something about the irony of these prizes:

    They're awarded to the people who are still going to be destroyed for what they've done for humanity while the monsters perpetrating the obscenities against us all are going completely fucking unscathed. The villains are allowed to continue their gross abuses while we give the human equivalent of a gold star sticker to the guy who couldn't not scream.

    1. Re:Yes. And. But. by Xest · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The real irony of this particular prize and nomination is that it's named after a Russian that wanted to flee to the West to escape the oppression in Russia, and this nomination is for someone who had to flee oppression in the West by escaping to Russia.

      How times change.

    2. Re:Yes. And. But. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The main problem is not "intellectuals", its journalism. Or rather the lack of journalism.

      Conflict of interest has destroyed journalism.

  3. Don't Forget Jimmy Carter by BBCWatcher · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Considering the last 50 years, I rate Jimmy Carter and his Carter Center very highly, though a big percentage of his good work has been done after his political career ended in 1981.

    1. Re:Don't Forget Jimmy Carter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Considering the last 50 years, I rate Jimmy Carter and his Carter Center very highly, though a big percentage of his good work has been done after his political career ended in 1981.

      Carter is a great former president, Obama was a great future president.

      Time to find a good incumbent.

    2. Re:Don't Forget Jimmy Carter by jez9999 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This isn't true. I think Obama has a fundamental lack of respect for liberty (he laughs off the idea of ending the drug war), privacy (massively expanding unwarranted surveillance), and the constitution (numerous violations such as unwarranted search and seizure), not to mention international law (pardoning the Bush administration for war crimes, torture, etc.)

      He's not hamstrung by the Republicans; he's just a very big disappointment as a president. It's somewhat redundant, if true, to say that he should be impeached, given that that has applied to pretty much all US presidents for the last few decades.

      --
      == Jez ==
      Do you miss Firefox? Try Pale Moon.
    3. Re:Don't Forget Jimmy Carter by mcvos · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Outrageous statements? Maybe, but his claim that the US is not a functional democracy was not false.

      He may not have been the most effective president, but he's the most noble person to have occupied the White House in recent years. Instead of getting dirtier politicians into office, Americans should work on cleaning up the rest of Washington to people like Carter can have more impact.

  4. Hypocrisy by FriendlyLurker · · Score: 5, Insightful

    European Parliament may be "officially nominating" - but their respective countries have all denied Snowdens asylum requests. Sure sounds like a consolation prize and even if he wins it, it does not let European countries off the hook for their crime. History will judge their actions very poorly - they have done the world a disservice and revealed their deep rooted hypocrisy.

  5. Re:I came by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I do not think you understand the ramifications of what has been done.

    In your defence few do, even here on Slashdot. I saw someone begging for 1984 instead of what we now have which is both far more insidious and far more subtle as well as far more totalitarian. That person is on the right track of understanding; “we” have essentially doomed the future of humanity.

    Nothing less. A fait accompli, a done deal, inescapable.

    We have to fight it but we can never win because winning is now impossible no matter who your are or what one might believe or whatever one claims allegiance to.

    It will never go away now. Widespread ability is too sophisticated to remove it and its seductive allure as a fantasy of control will only grow stronger.

    This is what fate looks like. Fight it not in delusion about winning but to potentially be able to claim ownership of yourself. If nothing else out of pure defiance and spite or even enlightened self-loathing.

    Everyone has already lost but will you choose to lose in style? That's the only real choice left for every human being.