Country Quote by Edward Snowden
“We hack everyone everywhere. We like to make a distinction between us and the others. But we are in almost every country in the world. We are not at war with these countries.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Snowden’s 2019 interview with The Guardian
Surveillance technologies are globally pervasive, blurring lines between friend and foe, yet they operate without open conflict.
In simple terms: We are watched everywhere, not at war.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the hidden reach of surveillance.
Themes
privacy
surveillance
globalization
trust
power
Mood
anxious
critical
thoughtful
Type
cautionary
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- online behavior
- travel
- political activism
- corporate data collection
Key Concepts
digital monitoring
statecraft
social control
Questions to Reflect On
- How does constant observation affect personal behavior?
- What responsibilities do citizens have to protect privacy?
A Different Perspective
Surveillance can be justified as security, limiting freedoms.
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![“There was a real choice when [Barack Obama] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold senior officials to account with the same laws that every other citizen in the country is held to," or "This is a nation that believes in the rule of law."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/104/edward-snowden-555_accounts_there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obam_27838.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
