--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you are subverting the power of…" description: "\"When you are subverting the power of government, that's a fundamentally dangerous thing to democracy.\" — Edward Snowden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/edward-snowden-555_dangerous_when-you-are-subverting-the-power-of-gov_468205.jpg" --- # When you are subverting the power of government, that's a… ![“When you are subverting the power of government, that's a fundamentally dangerous thing to democracy.” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/edward-snowden-555_dangerous_when-you-are-subverting-the-power-of-gov_468205.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/edward-snowden-555_dangerous_when-you-are-subverting-the-power-of-gov_468205.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/edward-snowden-555_dangerous_when-you-are-subverting-the-power-of-gov_468205.jpg) > “When you are subverting the power of government, that's a fundamentally dangerous thing to democracy.” [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. Undermining governmental authority threatens democratic stability. **In simple terms:** Challenging government can endanger democracy. Key Takeaway Balance critique with democratic safeguards. Themes democracy government freedom Mood cautious serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - political activism - journalism - policy debate - public discourse Key Concepts power dynamics civic responsibility risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - When is dissent constructive? - How to protect democracy while questioning power? A Different Perspective Too much subversion can cause instability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“The concept was attacked immediately. Many longtime advocates for the protection of the elderly saw the design as fundamentally dangerous. How was the staff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/the-concept-was-attacked-immediately-many-longtime-advocates-for-the/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [The role of the church and the government are fundamentally different. The church must always show compassion - always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/the-role-of-the-church-and-the-government-are-fundamentally-different/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [People who have been in and around government and politics for their entire lives may no longer be able to see the truth. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/people-who-have-been-in-and-around-government-and-politics-for-their/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [Democracy is never a thing done. Democracy is always something that a nation must be doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-macleish/democracy-is-never-a-thing-done-democracy-is-always-something-that-a-2/) [Archibald MacLeish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-macleish/) > [Remember one thing about democracy. We can have anything we want and at the same time, we always end up with exactly what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/remember-one-thing-about-democracy-we-can-have-anything-we-want-and/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [Having a vote once every four years is not the same thing as democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-laurie/having-a-vote-once-every-four-years-is-not-the-same-thing-as-democracy/) [Hugh Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-laurie/) > [When threatened, the first thing a democracy gives up is democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/when-threatened-the-first-thing-a-democracy-gives-up-is-democracy/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [So the first thing in democracy, people must have satisfaction. If you don't have satisfaction, it's not going to work out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/so-the-first-thing-in-democracy-people-must-have-satisfaction-if-you/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [The great thing about democracy is that it gives every voter a chance to do something stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spander/the-great-thing-about-democracy-is-that-it-gives-every-voter-a-chance/) [Art Spander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spander/) > [“The good thing about democracy is that every vote counts. The problem with democracy is that every vote counts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/the-good-thing-about-democracy-is-that-every-vote-counts-the-problem/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) > [Democracy is never a thing done. Democracy is always something that a nation must be doing. What is necessary now is one thing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-macleish/democracy-is-never-a-thing-done-democracy-is-always-something-that-a/) [Archibald MacLeish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-macleish/) > [The thing about democracy, beloveds, is that it is not neat, orderly, or quiet. It requires a certain relish for confusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/the-thing-about-democracy-beloveds-is-that-it-is-not-neat-orderly-or/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [It's a beautiful thing when democracy prevails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/it-s-a-beautiful-thing-when-democracy-prevails/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [In democracy - and the good thing about democracy, big change does not happen quickly, and you need a buy-in and a convincing, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-rauner/in-democracy-and-the-good-thing-about-democracy-big-change-does-not/) [Bruce Rauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-rauner/) > [Advocating democracy has, by other people, often been taken as a form of imperialism, and not without some justification. So the important thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/advocating-democracy-has-by-other-people-often-been-taken-as-a-form/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) ## 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." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-new-standards-for-this-we-need/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We need to think about encryption not as this sort of arcane, black art. It's a basic protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-need-to-think-about-encryption-not-as-this-sort-of-arcane-black/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [A lot of people in 2008 voted for Obama. I did not vote for him. I voted for a third party. 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. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obama-became-president-it-was-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We've learned that we've allowed technological capabilities to dictate policies and practices, rather than ensuring that our laws and values guide our technological capabilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-ve-learned-that-we-ve-allowed-technological-capabilities-to/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's much easier, I think, to protect communications while they're in transit at least, than it is to enforce legislation in every country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-s-much-easier-i-think-to-protect-communications-while-they-re-in/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I care more about the country than what happens to me. 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 Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The more people that learn about you, even if you're an underdog, then you can come under fire a lot and the more attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-more-people-that-learn-about-you-even-if-you-re-an-underdog-then/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you are subverting the power of government, that's a fundamentally dangerous thing to democracy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Snowden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/when-you-are-subverting-the-power-of-government-that-s-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dangerous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/when-you-are-subverting-the-power-of-government-that-s-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/edward-snowden-555_dangerous_when-you-are-subverting-the-power-of-gov_468205.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/edward-snowden-555_dangerous_when-you-are-subverting-the-power-of-gov_468205.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/edward-snowden-555_dangerous_when-you-are-subverting-the-power-of-gov_468205.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you are subverting the power of government, that's a fundamentally dangerous thing to democracy.” — Edward Snowden", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edward Snowden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you are subverting the power...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/when-you-are-subverting-the-power-of-government-that-s-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/when-you-are-subverting-the-power-of-government-that-s-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```