--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Equally nonsensical was the notion that…" description: "\"“Equally nonsensical was the notion that Snowden would try to save himself by giving away surveillance secrets. He had dismantled his life and risked a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/glenn-greenwald-1215_edward_equally-nonsensical-was-the-notion-that_2333571.jpg" --- # Equally nonsensical was the notion that Snowden would try… ![“Equally nonsensical was the notion that Snowden would try to save himself by giving away surveillance secrets. He had dismantled his life and risked a future in prison to tell the world about a clandestine surveillance system he believed must be stopped.” quote by Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/glenn-greenwald-1215_edward_equally-nonsensical-was-the-notion-that_2333571.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/glenn-greenwald-1215_edward_equally-nonsensical-was-the-notion-that_2333571.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/glenn-greenwald-1215_edward_equally-nonsensical-was-the-notion-that_2333571.jpg) > ““Equally nonsensical was the notion that Snowden would try to save himself by giving away surveillance secrets. He had dismantled his life and risked a future in prison to tell the world about a clandestine surveillance system he believed must be stopped.”” [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights the paradox of risking personal safety to expose systemic wrongdoing. **In simple terms:** Risking everything to reveal hidden surveillance. Key Takeaway Consider the cost of truth‑telling. Themes courage transparency whistleblowing Mood serious reflective Type political ethical When to use this quote - journalism - government accountability - civil liberties - personal sacrifice Key Concepts politics surveillance ethics Questions to Reflect On - Is personal sacrifice justified for public good? - What safeguards protect whistleblowers? A Different Perspective Such actions can endanger families and destabilize trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clandestine Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clandestine-surveillance-5622374/) [Edward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edward/) [Life And Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-risk-222786/) [Notion Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notion-snowden-5622373/) [Surveillance Believed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance-believed-5622377/) [Surveillance Secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance-secrets-5622375/) [World Clandestine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-clandestine-5622376/) ## Related quotes > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A key purpose of journalism is to provide an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/a-key-purpose-of-journalism-is-to-provide-an-adversarial-check-on/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“NSA has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/nsa-has-increasingly-made-use-of-a-secret-technology-that-enables-it/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Among other devices, the agency intercepts and tampers with routers and servers manufactured by Cisco to direct large amounts of Internet traffic back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/among-other-devices-the-agency-intercepts-and-tampers-with-routers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Encryption matters, and it is not just for spies and philanderers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/encryption-matters-and-it-is-not-just-for-spies-and-philanderers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I don't have a 'side'—I'm responsible for what I say and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/i-don-t-have-a-side-i-m-responsible-for-what-i-say-and-nothing-else/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“the desire for privacy is shared by us all as an essential, not ancillary, part of what it means to be human. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-desire-for-privacy-is-shared-by-us-all-as-an-essential-not/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Converting the Internet into a system of surveillance thus guts it of its core potential. Worse, it turns the Internet into a tool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/converting-the-internet-into-a-system-of-surveillance-thus-guts-it-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/that-capability-at-any-time-could-be-turned-around-on-the-american/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Above even our physical well-being, a central value is keeping the state out of the private realm—our “persons, houses, papers, and effects,” as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/above-even-our-physical-well-being-a-central-value-is-keeping-the/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It's hardly news that the Obama administration is intensely and, in many respects, unprecedentedly hostile toward the news-gathering process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-hardly-news-that-the-obama-administration-is-intensely-and-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“The evidence shows that assurances that surveillance is only targeted at those who “have done something wrong” should provide little comfort, since a state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-evidence-shows-that-assurances-that-surveillance-is-only-targeted/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“We all instinctively understand that the private realm is where we can act, think, speak, write, experiment, and choose how to be, away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/we-all-instinctively-understand-that-the-private-realm-is-where-we/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## More by Glenn Greenwald > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“The evidence shows that assurances that surveillance is only targeted at those who “have done something wrong” should provide little comfort, since a state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-evidence-shows-that-assurances-that-surveillance-is-only-targeted/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It's hardly news that the Obama administration is intensely and, in many respects, unprecedentedly hostile toward the news-gathering process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-hardly-news-that-the-obama-administration-is-intensely-and-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Above even our physical well-being, a central value is keeping the state out of the private realm—our “persons, houses, papers, and effects,” as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/above-even-our-physical-well-being-a-central-value-is-keeping-the/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/that-capability-at-any-time-could-be-turned-around-on-the-american/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Converting the Internet into a system of surveillance thus guts it of its core potential. Worse, it turns the Internet into a tool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/converting-the-internet-into-a-system-of-surveillance-thus-guts-it-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“the desire for privacy is shared by us all as an essential, not ancillary, part of what it means to be human. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-desire-for-privacy-is-shared-by-us-all-as-an-essential-not/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I don't have a 'side'—I'm responsible for what I say and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/i-don-t-have-a-side-i-m-responsible-for-what-i-say-and-nothing-else/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Encryption matters, and it is not just for spies and philanderers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/encryption-matters-and-it-is-not-just-for-spies-and-philanderers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Among other devices, the agency intercepts and tampers with routers and servers manufactured by Cisco to direct large amounts of Internet traffic back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/among-other-devices-the-agency-intercepts-and-tampers-with-routers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“NSA has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/nsa-has-increasingly-made-use-of-a-secret-technology-that-enables-it/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A key purpose of journalism is to provide an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/a-key-purpose-of-journalism-is-to-provide-an-adversarial-check-on/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“We all instinctively understand that the private realm is where we can act, think, speak, write, experiment, and choose how to be, away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/we-all-instinctively-understand-that-the-private-realm-is-where-we/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Explore all 270 Glenn Greenwald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## More Edward quotes > [“Edward: I don't know whether to put my fingers in my ears and go la-la-la or find more of your guards so we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/edward-i-don-t-know-whether-to-put-my-fingers-in-my-ears-and-go-la-la/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [I wondered to myself why no one else had seen him standing so far away, before he was suddenly, impossibly saving my life. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-wondered-to-myself-why-no-one-else-had-seen-him-standing-so-far/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“More importantly in my view, the Obama administration has treated whistleblowers with scandalous harshness, especially those from inside the intelligence community. The hardest point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lucas/more-importantly-in-my-view-the-obama-administration-has-treated/) [Edward Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lucas/) > [“Where are we going?” she asked. “Mr. Durbin’s sheep have begun to lamb, and I wanted to see how the ewes are doing.” He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hoyt/where-are-we-going-she-asked-mr-durbin-s-sheep-have-begun-to-lamb-and/) [Elizabeth Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hoyt/) > [I've never met Snowden, I've never spoken with him personally. I mean, he's extremely smart. Very, very smart. I guess he was a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-ve-never-met-snowden-i-ve-never-spoken-with-him-personally-i-mean/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [It's a problem for him because he's got - like Edward VII had - nearly all his lifetime to wait until he becomes Monarch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/it-s-a-problem-for-him-because-he-s-got-like-edward-vii-had-nearly/) [Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/) > [“The single biggest lesson of the whole Snowden fiasco is that America's own sloppiness made it vulnerable: whether to misguided whistleblowers, saboteurs or foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lucas/the-single-biggest-lesson-of-the-whole-snowden-fiasco-is-that-america/) [Edward Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lucas/) > [“The cliché that “everything leaks; it all comes out in the New York Times eventually” is emphatically not true, above all for sensitive compartmented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/the-clich-that-everything-leaks-it-all-comes-out-in-the-new-york/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [“The way everyone looked at me made me uncomfortable. Even Edward. It was like I had grown a hundred feet during the course of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/the-way-everyone-looked-at-me-made-me-uncomfortable-even-edward-it/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [Any country that grants asylum to Snowden risks retaliation from the United States, including diplomatic isolation and costly trade sanctions. Several don't seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/any-country-that-grants-asylum-to-snowden-risks-retaliation-from-the/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [“As an American historian, I am required to keep an accurate and truthful historical record.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/as-an-american-historian-i-am-required-to-keep-an-accurate-and/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I tensed for the spring, my eyes squinting as I cringed away, and the sound of Edward's furious roar echoed distantly in the back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-tensed-for-the-spring-my-eyes-squinting-as-i-cringed-away-and-the/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [ Odd as this might sound, I suppose I’m glad you’re here, Jacob. \[Edward Cullen\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/odd-as-this-might-sound-i-suppose-i-m-glad-you-re-here-jacob-edward/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [Snowden is an orderly thinker, with an engineer's approach to problem-solving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/snowden-is-an-orderly-thinker-with-an-engineer-s-approach-to-problem/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [I think that Mr. Snowden raised some legitimate concerns. How he did it was something that did not follow the procedures and practices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-mr-snowden-raised-some-legitimate-concerns-how-he-did-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Browse all 310 Edward quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edward/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Equally nonsensical was the notion that Snowden would try to save himself by giving away surveillance secrets. He had dismantled his life and risked a future in prison to tell the world about a clandestine surveillance system he believed must be stopped.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glenn Greenwald" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/equally-nonsensical-was-the-notion-that-snowden-would-try-to-save/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Edward" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/equally-nonsensical-was-the-notion-that-snowden-would-try-to-save/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/glenn-greenwald-1215_edward_equally-nonsensical-was-the-notion-that_2333571.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/glenn-greenwald-1215_edward_equally-nonsensical-was-the-notion-that_2333571.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/glenn-greenwald-1215_edward_equally-nonsensical-was-the-notion-that_2333571.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Equally nonsensical was the notion that Snowden would try to save himself by giving away surveillance…” — Glenn Greenwald", "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": "Glenn Greenwald", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Equally nonsensical was the notion that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/equally-nonsensical-was-the-notion-that-snowden-would-try-to-save/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/equally-nonsensical-was-the-notion-that-snowden-would-try-to-save/#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 } } ] } ```