Edward Snowden: The Work of a Generation

[unhappycamper]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/10/01-8

The Work of a Generation Published on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 by Common Dreams
by Edward Snowden
Published on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 by Common Dreams

I thank the European Parliament and the LIBE Committee for taking up the challenge of mass surveillance. The surveillance of whole populations, rather than individuals, threatens to be the greatest human rights challenge of our time. The success of economies in developed nations relies increasingly on their creative output, and if that success is to continue, we must remember that creativity is the product of curiosity, which in turn is the product of privacy.

A culture of secrecy has denied our societies the opportunity to determine the appropriate balance between the human right of privacy and the governmental interest in investigation. These are not decisions that should be made for a people, but only by the people after full, informed, and fearless debate. Yet public debate is not possible without public knowledge, and in my country, the cost for one in my position of returning public knowledge to public hands has been persecution and exile. If we are to enjoy such debates in the future, we cannot rely upon individual sacrifice. We must create better channels for people of conscience to inform not only trusted agents of government, but independent representatives of the public outside of government.

When I began my work, it was with the sole intention of making possible the debate we see occurring here in this body and in many other bodies around the world. Today we see legislative bodies forming new committees, calling for investigations, and proposing new solutions for modern problems. We see emboldened courts that are no longer afraid to consider critical questions of national security. We see brave executives remembering that if a public is prevented from knowing how they are being governed, the necessary result is that they are no longer self-governing. And we see the public reclaiming an equal seat at the table of government. The work of a generation is beginning here, with your hearings, and you have the full measure of my gratitude and support.

[ehcross]

1. A culture of secrecy has allowed our society to succesfully prevent a repetition of the 9/11 attacks

A culture of secrecy has allowed our society to succesfully prevent a repetition of the 9/11 attacks. So far so good. But
"Secrecy" is a word most Americans don't like to hear from government, because unfortunately there is a culture of distrust in government. Too many errors have been made in a world full of challenges, which have had bitter consequences that make it difficult for matters of great importance to carry the full blessing of society.

It is necessary for the American people to recover the trust and respect for their government and their country. Many decisions are there to be taken that require citizen´s support and credibility of government.

A culture of secrecy has denied our societies the opportunity to determine the appropriate balance between the human right of privacy and the governmental interest in investigation. Such interest must be a permanent requirement if any degree of security is to be achieved.