Politics Quote by Glenn Greenwald
““Ultimately, beyond diplomatic manipulation and economic gain, a system of ubiquitous spying allows the United States to maintain its grip on the world. When the United States is able to know everything that everyone is doing, saying, thinking, and planning—its own citizens, foreign populations, international corporations, other government leaders—its power over those factions is maximized. That’s doubly true if the government operates at ever greater levels of secrecy. The secrecy creates a one-way mirror: the US government sees what everyone else in the world does, including its own population, while no one sees its own actions. It is the ultimate imbalance, permitting the most dangerous of all human conditions: the exercise of limitless power with no transparency or accountability.””
About This Quote
Source Article: “The Surveillance State” by Glenn Greenwald, The Intercept, 2015
Mass surveillance gives a government unparalleled power without oversight, creating a dangerous imbalance.
In simple terms: Surveillance creates unchecked power.
Key Takeaway
Demand transparency and accountability.
Themes
privacy
government
power
Mood
concerned
critical
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- policy debate
- activism
- journalism
- legal reform
Key Concepts
surveillance
accountability
civil liberties
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies protect privacy while ensuring security?
- What mechanisms ensure governmental accountability?
A Different Perspective
Balancing security needs with privacy rights is complex.
![“Under the president's spying program, there are no checks and balances. There is no outside review of the legality of this brazen infringement on the civil rights and liberties of the American people. Undeterred by the public outcry, the president [George Bush] vows to continue spying on American…” quote by Samuel Alito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d1a/samuel-alito-11708_american-citizens_under-the-president-s-spying-program-the_2260364.jpg)
