--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Setting people to spy on one another is…" description: "\"Setting people to spy on one another is not the way to protect freedom.\" — Tommy Douglas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/tommy-douglas-17183_freedom_setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is_415687.jpg" --- # Setting people to spy on one another is not the way to… ![“Setting people to spy on one another is not the way to protect freedom.” quote by Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/tommy-douglas-17183_freedom_setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is_415687.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/tommy-douglas-17183_freedom_setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is_415687.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/tommy-douglas-17183_freedom_setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is_415687.jpg) > “Setting people to spy on one another is not the way to protect freedom.” [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that surveillance erodes freedom rather than protects it. **In simple terms:** Spying on each other harms freedom. Key Takeaway Advocate for privacy protections. Themes freedom privacy surveillance Mood critical serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy making - digital security - community trust Key Concepts civil liberties government overreach trust Questions to Reflect On - Is any loss of privacy acceptable for security? - How can societies balance safety and liberty? A Different Perspective Surveillance may be justified in extreme threats. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Spy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spy/) [Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance/) ## Related quotes > [Any time we give people the ability to use force, we have to be very careful. It's sort of like the people who spy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/any-time-we-give-people-the-ability-to-use-force-we-have-to-be-very/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [The fact that other countries spy on their own people or spy on each other does not address the fact that the US is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesselyn-radack/the-fact-that-other-countries-spy-on-their-own-people-or-spy-on-each/) Jesselyn Radack > [The church should provide a setting in which people can express their questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/the-church-should-provide-a-setting-in-which-people-can-express-their/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [The passion for setting people right is in itself an inflictive disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/the-passion-for-setting-people-right-is-in-itself-an-inflictive/) [Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/) > [The passion for setting people right is in itself an afflictive disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/the-passion-for-setting-people-right-is-in-itself-an-afflictive/) [Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/) > [I'm always uncomfortable with that notion of setting people up in order to kind of promote, you know, some sort of a face-off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/i-m-always-uncomfortable-with-that-notion-of-setting-people-up-in/) [Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/) > [I don't think setting people up is a bad move; in fact, it's one way to actually help singles - so long as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-cooper/i-don-t-think-setting-people-up-is-a-bad-move-in-fact-it-s-one-way-to/) [Brett Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-cooper/) > [Every time I walk by a spy shop, I think that I need to put some surveillance on somebody. Rick's been acting fishy! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/every-time-i-walk-by-a-spy-shop-i-think-that-i-need-to-put-some/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [The idea of aerial military surveillance dates back to the Civil War, when both the Union and the Confederacy used hot-air balloons to spy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/the-idea-of-aerial-military-surveillance-dates-back-to-the-civil-war/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [From that point on, the extraordinary system of spies and informers which has played an important part in the political work of the French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-tilly/from-that-point-on-the-extraordinary-system-of-spies-and-informers/) [Charles Tilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-tilly/) > [Everybody calls everybody a spy, secretly, in Russia, and everybody is under surveillance. You never feel safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-smedley/everybody-calls-everybody-a-spy-secretly-in-russia-and-everybody-is/) [Agnes Smedley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-smedley/) > [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/) > [Choosing providers is not a choice between surveillance/not; it's just choosing which feudal lord gets to spy on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/choosing-providers-is-not-a-choice-between-surveillance-not-it-s-just/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [Abby must have been the one who found the safe house, because Townsend didn't like it. "The building across the street is under construction,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/abby-must-have-been-the-one-who-found-the-safe-house-because-townsend/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [Our plans protect freedom and opportunity, and our blueprint is the Constitution of the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/our-plans-protect-freedom-and-opportunity-and-our-blueprint-is-the/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) ## More by Tommy Douglas > [I am proud that my daughter believes, as I do, that hungry children should be fed whether they are Black Panthers or White Republicans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/i-am-proud-that-my-daughter-believes-as-i-do-that-hungry-children/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [In Washington they have their hawks and doves and in Ottawa we have our parrots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/in-washington-they-have-their-hawks-and-doves-and-in-ottawa-we-have/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [My dream is for people around the world to look up and to see Canada like a little jewel sitting at the top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/my-dream-is-for-people-around-the-world-to-look-up-and-to-see-canada/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [A recession is when your neighbour has to tighten his belt. A depression is when you have to tighten your own belt. And a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/a-recession-is-when-your-neighbour-has-to-tighten-his-belt-a/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [To accept the principal that "all power proceeds from the barrel of a gun" is to accept a society which will be dominated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/to-accept-the-principal-that-all-power-proceeds-from-the-barrel-of-a/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [We are all in this world together, and the only test of our character that matters is how we look after the least fortunate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/we-are-all-in-this-world-together-and-the-only-test-of-our-character/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [If ever we needed in this country to adopt a new attitude towards homosexuality, this is the time. Instead of treating it as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/if-ever-we-needed-in-this-country-to-adopt-a-new-attitude-towards/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [I am sure that hon. members will realize that I am not drawing on my imagination when I state that last fall there were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/i-am-sure-that-hon-members-will-realize-that-i-am-not-drawing-on-my/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [He was the only man I ever knew who could get money from the rich and votes from the poor with the promise to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/he-was-the-only-man-i-ever-knew-who-could-get-money-from-the-rich-and/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [ The \[Liberal\] federal government's trouble is that they have a wishbone where they should have a backbone. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/the-liberal-federal-government-s-trouble-is-that-they-have-a-wishbone/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [Courage, my friends; 'tis not too late to build a better world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/courage-my-friends-tis-not-too-late-to-build-a-better-world/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [We agree with the statement contained in the encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, written by Pope Leo XIII, that "anything which dominates the life of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/we-agree-with-the-statement-contained-in-the-encyclical-quadragesimo/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [The greatest way to defend democracy is to make it work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/the-greatest-way-to-defend-democracy-is-to-make-it-work/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [I came to believe that health services ought not to have a price tag on them, and that people should be able to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/i-came-to-believe-that-health-services-ought-not-to-have-a-price-tag/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [We must never underestimate our opponents; nor should we forget that the closer we come to reaching our objectives, the more vicious and forthright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/we-must-never-underestimate-our-opponents-nor-should-we-forget-that/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) [Explore all 38 Tommy Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Setting people to spy on one another is not the way to protect freedom.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tommy Douglas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is-not-the-way-to-protect-freedom/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is-not-the-way-to-protect-freedom/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/tommy-douglas-17183_freedom_setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is_415687.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/tommy-douglas-17183_freedom_setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is_415687.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/tommy-douglas-17183_freedom_setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is_415687.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Setting people to spy on one another is not the way to protect freedom.” — Tommy Douglas", "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": "Tommy Douglas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Setting people to spy on one...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is-not-the-way-to-protect-freedom/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is-not-the-way-to-protect-freedom/#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 } } ] } ```