If you didn’t know about the vast surveillance state (an organization I have worked for, as have many of you) before Snowden arrived you’re very late to the party. Thousands of authors, reporters, commentators, comedians and actors have tried to tell you. Take the late Bill Hicks as just one example. Many of the things the surveillance state does had a very rational justification when we were at war with fascism and communism and some things still hold true.
Yep, Hicks tried, and paid the price. No more secrets. All it has done is bred greater corruption at the top.
You’re on here alot. I know that. You’re a different breed of person. The carpenter or plumber down the street from you isn’t reading Glenn Greenwald, Michael Hastings, Breitbart or anyone else. Do you think any of them know who, Reality Winner is and why she just pled guilty? Of the guy from Northern Virginia, who worked for the State Dept and CIA, and was caught selling info to the Chinese? Or know about Feinstein’s driver/assistant that was working for the Chinese for the last 20 years?
Most folks are just trying to make a buck and support their family.
I can appreciate your perspective having worked as a security contractor overseas and being around the intel types. But, you and I should agree, that a lot of people probably couldn’t pick their Senators or Congressman out of a lineup. They’re too busy with life. They’re not reading the NY Times or anything else. They’re reading the sports section of the NY Post(best sports section of any paper, btw) and maybe some opinion columns, op/ed, maybe.
Some guy commuting into NYC on the LIRR, gets up at the butt crack of dawn to make the train, works all day, then falls asleep on the ride home, gets home and does the family thing. Goes to sleep, rinse and repeat, 5x a week. He isn’t reading, nor does he even know, what you know.
So, I’m not disagreeing with you, at all. I’m just saying that Snowden put it on the front page for all the world to see.
You, I and many others have been aware for a lot longer than the average Joe. And we kept our oaths and didn’t really spread any real warnings/alerts......w/o Snowden, many of those who now have a clue would still be totally ignorant, and since he’s a fugitive, they still have doubts about the message he put out.