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No matter where we live, we’re being watched by government, industry, corporations. Thanks to a courageous young man who recognized serious evil potential, absent consent, we now have opportunity to alter the surveillance state. And here’s the best essay I’ve seen yet, on what that change might look like.
ON PROTECTING WHISTLE BLOWERS: [the recent spies, rarely mentioned; but whistleblowers vilified.]
“. . . treating those who disclose information that is in the public interest as enemies of the state is misguided. Instead of vilifying whistleblowers as traitors, Congress should finally establish safe and effective channels for intelligence community employees and contractors to report government waste, fraud, illegality and abuse, including to the public when necessary. Such an approach would free up executive officials to focus on real threats, and members of Congress to better discharge their oversight responsibilities so that whistleblowers are not obliged to leak to the press.”
SOURCE: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/11/nsa-snowden-whisteblower-michael-rogers