It is hard to imagine having a government more secretive than the United States. Virtually everything that government does, of any significance, is conducted behind an extreme wall of secrecy. The very few leaks that weโve had over the last decade are basically the only ways that weโve had to learn what our government is doing.
Glenn GreenwaldI think that - not just as a journalist but as a human being - I have the ethical responsibility to avoid actions that can harm innocent people.
Glenn GreenwaldWhen journalists are 'accused' of being 'advocates', that means: challenging and deviating from DC orthodoxies.
Glenn GreenwaldAll of the evidence highlights the implicit bargain that is offered to citizens: pose no challenge and you have nothing to worry about. Mind your own business, and support or at least tolerate what we do, and you'll be fine. Put differently, you must refrain from provoking the authority that wields surveillance powers if you wish to be deemed free of wrongdoing. This is a deal that invites passivity, obedience, and conformity. The safest course, the way to ensure being โleft alone,โ is to remain quiet, unthreatening, and compliant.
Glenn Greenwald