Politics Quote by Glenn Greenwald
““the presumption is that the government, with rare exception, will not know anything that law-abiding citizens are doing. That is why we are called private individuals, functioning in our private capacity. Transparency is for those who carry out public duties and exercise public power. Privacy is for everyone else.””
About This Quote
Source Article: Op‑ed, 2015
Government transparency applies to public officials; privacy belongs to private citizens.
In simple terms: Public power must be transparent; private lives stay private.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for clear privacy boundaries.
Themes
privacy
government
transparency
Mood
analytical
serious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- social media
- legal policy
- personal data
Key Concepts
civil liberties
public accountability
Questions to Reflect On
- What defines public vs. private?
- How can privacy be protected legally?
A Different Perspective
May ignore legitimate surveillance needs.
![“The way things are supposed to work is that we're supposed to know virtually everything about what they [the government] do: that's why they're called public servants. They're supposed to know virtually nothing about what we do: that's why we're called private individuals.” quote by Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/64d/glenn-greenwald-1215_government_the-way-things-are-supposed-to-work-is-t_1685050.jpg)
![“The [U.S.] Constitution is a limitation on the government, not on private individuals ... it does not prescribe the conduct of private individuals, only the conduct of the government ... it is not a charter for government power, but a charter of the citizen's protection against the government.” quote by Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/953/ayn-rand-59_charter_the-u-s-constitution-is-a-limitation-on_335234.jpg)
