The NSA's business is 'information dominance,' the use of other people's secrets to shape events.

Privacy is relational. It depends on the audience. You don't want your employer to know you're job hunting. You don't spill all about your love life to your mom or your kids. You don't tell trade secrets to your rivals.

In Africa through the 1990s, with notable exceptions in Senegal and Uganda, nearly all the ruling powers denied they had a problem with AIDS.

Some misunderstandings are hard to cure.

When the New York Times revealed the warrantless surveillance of voice calls, in December 2005, the telephone companies got nervous.

Activists and geeks, standing together, are demonstrating powers beyond the reach of government control.

Daniel Ellsberg showed tremendous courage back in the 70s.