Airplane Quote by Edward Snowden
“When we look at the full-on mass surveillance watching everyone in the country, in the United States, it doesn't work. It didn't stop the attacks in Boston. The marathon bombings. Where again, we knew who these individuals were. It didn't stop the Underwear Bomber, whose father walked into an embassy and warned us about this individual before he walked onto an airplane. And it's not going to stop the next attacks either. Because again, they're not public safety programmes. They're spying programmes. They are valuable for spying.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview with The Guardian, 2013
Mass surveillance fails to prevent attacks; it serves espionage rather than public safety.
In simple terms: Surveillance doesn't stop terrorism.
Key Takeaway
Recognize limits of spying for safety.
Themes
security
surveillance
terrorism
policy
ethics
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
analytical
political
When to use this quote
- national security debates
- policy making
- public awareness
- civil liberties discussions
Key Concepts
privacy
state power
risk assessment
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance security and privacy?
- What alternatives exist to prevent attacks without mass spying?
A Different Perspective
Surveillance can still miss threats despite data collection.
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![“[Brazil] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data sovereignty."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af7/edward-snowden-555_brazil_brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-n_14906.jpg)
![“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)
