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Snowden Says His Mission Is Accomplished

Posted by timothy on from the so-where's-the-banner? dept.

Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "Edward Snowden met with reporters from the Washington Post for fourteen hours and in his first interview since June reflected at length about surveillance, democracy and the meaning of the documents he exposed. 'For me, in terms of personal satisfaction, the mission's already accomplished. I already won,' says Snowden. 'All I wanted was for the public to be able to have a say in how they are governed. That is a milestone we left a long time ago. Right now, all we are looking at are stretch goals.' Snowden says that the NSA's business is 'information dominance,' the use of other people's secrets to shape events. But Snowden upended the agency on its own turf. 'You recognize that you're going in blind, that there's no model,' says Snowden, acknowledging that he had no way to know whether the public would share his views. 'But when you weigh that against the alternative, which is not to act, you realize that some analysis is better than no analysis. Because even if your analysis proves to be wrong, the marketplace of ideas will bear that out.' Snowden succeeded because the NSA, accustomed to watching without being watched, faces scrutiny it has not endured since the 1970s, or perhaps ever, and says people who accuse him of disloyalty mistake his purpose. 'I am not trying to bring down the NSA, I am working to improve the NSA. I am still working for the NSA right now. They are the only ones who don't realize it.'"

8 of 312 comments (clear)

  1. Well, at least by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    He's not wearing a jumpsuit and standing on an aircraft carrier with a banner behind him.

    1. Re:Well, at least by CanHasDIY · · Score: 5, Funny

      He's not wearing a jumpsuit and standing on an aircraft carrier with a banner behind him.

      Damn, I was about to say the complete opposite: Until I see pics of Snowden in a jumpsuit on an aircraft carrier with a banner behind him, I don't buy it.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    2. Re:Well, at least by cold+fjord · · Score: 3, Funny

      He actually is in a stressful position behind razor wire, but fashion choices available in Russia have expanded since the fall of the Soviet Union.

      Old Soviet fashion show.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
  2. I disagree by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The NSA should be dismantled....

    Hang on, someone's at the door.

  3. Of course not! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Do you really think the NSA has time to waste on Slashdot? We have much more pressing issues to take care of.

    1. Re:Of course not! by Immerman · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hey, I'm not trolling, I've got a level 27 minotaur that's... umm... trying to recruit me into his terrorist cell. Yeah, that's it. I've got to put in a good 8 hours today.. umm... cultivating my contact. Maybe 20. Sure that's a lot of overtime, but my country is worth it!

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
  4. Re:What he said in the interview by RabidReindeer · · Score: 4, Funny

    It is incredibly easy to be smarter and more moral than anyone in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the government.

    General opinion is that even used-car salesman can do as much.

  5. Re:They could have listened to him... by Richy_T · · Score: 4, Funny

    Heck, with a copy of the constitution on his desk, his surprising he wasn't charged with possessing terrorist literature.