Edward Snowden Backlash In Full Force (opens in new tab)

(businessinsider.com)

12 pointsiampliny12y ago2 comments

2 comments

grecy12y ago

" Not a lot of people were surprised at the basic fact that U.S. agents were spying on Russia.

That's what countries do.

Is that to imply it's OK because other countries are doing it?

That sounds a heck of a lot like Lance Armstrong's defense of "everyone else was doing it..."

Demiurge12y ago

I think it implies that that is what countries must do to exist. Do you disagree with the assertion that intelligence gathering on other nation is key to self-preservation in geopolitics? Are you really implying that US, or any country, should just take what the other country is telling them, at face value?

Yeah, I agree that NSA should not be spying on US citizens. But Snowden did, very unfortunately, lose some credibility with anyone who isn't a naive pacifist, by saying NSA/CIA should not be spying on other countries.

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