It is simply an invariable truth in the history of politics, in the history of government, that whenever a new power is acquired in the name of some threat, it always - not sometimes, not often, not usually -it always extends beyond its original application, beyond its original justification.
Glenn GreenwaldAs always, imagine how great the press corps would be if it devoted 1/1000th the energy to dissecting non-sex political wrongdoing
Glenn GreenwaldTransparency is for those who carry out public duties and exercise public power. Privacy is for everyone else.
Glenn GreenwaldNo matter the specific techniques involved, historically mass surveillance has had several constant attributes. Initially, it is always the countryโs dissidents and marginalized who bear the brunt of the surveillance, leading those who support the government or are merely apathetic to mistakenly believe they are immune. And history shows that the mere existence of a mass surveillance apparatus, regardless of how it is used, is in itself sufficient to stifle dissent. A citizenry that is aware of always being watched quickly becomes a compliant and fearful one.
Glenn GreenwaldThe second term of the Bush administration and first five years of the Obama presidency have been devoted to codifying and institutionalizing the vast and unchecked powers that are typically vested in leaders in the name of war. Those powers of secrecy, indefinite detention, mass surveillance, and due-process-free assassination are not going anywhere. They are now permanent fixtures not only in the US political system but, worse, in American political culture.
Glenn Greenwald