--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The government would assert that…" description: "\"The government would assert that individuals who are aware of serious wrongdoing in the intelligence community should bring their concerns to the peopl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/edward-snowden-555_community_the-government-would-assert-that-individ_3069118.jpg" --- # The government would assert that individuals who are aware… ![“The government would assert that individuals who are aware of serious wrongdoing in the intelligence community should bring their concerns to the people most responsible for that wrongdoing, and rely on those people to correct the problems that those people themselves authorized.” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/edward-snowden-555_community_the-government-would-assert-that-individ_3069118.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/edward-snowden-555_community_the-government-would-assert-that-individ_3069118.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/edward-snowden-555_community_the-government-would-assert-that-individ_3069118.jpg) > “The government would assert that individuals who are aware of serious wrongdoing in the intelligence community should bring their concerns to the people most responsible for that wrongdoing, and rely on those people to correct the problems that those people themselves authorized.” [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He critiques the expectation that whistleblowers should rely on internal channels, highlighting systemic failure to address wrongdoing. **In simple terms:** Internal reporting often ineffective. Key Takeaway Seek external accountability when needed. Themes whistleblowing government accountability Mood cautious determined Type political ethical When to use this quote - corporate fraud - national security - human rights - legal reform - media scrutiny Key Concepts political science ethics Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards ensure true accountability? - How can individuals protect themselves when exposing wrongdoing? A Different Perspective Internal mechanisms may be compromised. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Intelligence community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-community/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Wrongdoing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrongdoing/) ## Related quotes > [We need the federal government to assert their supremacy over the immigration issue and make it clear to state legislatures, cowboy cops, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gutierrez/we-need-the-federal-government-to-assert-their-supremacy-over-the/) [Luis Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gutierrez/) > [One concern I had while I was working actively in the intelligence community - being someone who had broad access, who was exposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/one-concern-i-had-while-i-was-working-actively-in-the-intelligence/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ The \[Barack\] Obama administration almost appears as though it is afraid of the intelligence community. They're afraid of death by a thousand cuts -… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-barack-obama-administration-almost-appears-as-though-it-is-afraid/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [A political decision has been made not to irritate the intelligence community. The spy agencies are really embarrassed, they're really sore - the revelations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/a-political-decision-has-been-made-not-to-irritate-the-intelligence/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [There were no whistleblower protections that would've protected me - and that's known to everybody in the intelligence community. There are no proper channels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-were-no-whistleblower-protections-that-would-ve-protected-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [People sometimes say I broke an oath of secrecy - one of the early charges leveled against me. 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So think, plan, develop, launch and tap good people to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/you-will-launch-many-projects-but-have-time-to-finish-only-a-few-so/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [There can be so many people responsible for your success, but only you are responsible for your failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/there-can-be-so-many-people-responsible-for-your-success-but-only-you/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) ## More by Edward Snowden > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-and-israel-wrote-stuxnet-together/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [As a general rule, so long as you have any choice at all, you should never route through or peer with the UK under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/as-a-general-rule-so-long-as-you-have-any-choice-at-all-you-should/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." 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But I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/a-lot-of-people-in-2008-voted-for-obama-i-did-not-vote-for-him-i/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ There was a real choice when \[Barack Obama\] became president. 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But we can't allow the law to become a political weapon or agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-care-more-about-the-country-than-what-happens-to-me-but-we-can-t/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) [Explore all 478 Edward Snowden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## More Community quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. 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