6/11/2013
Ex CIA man says exposed US spy scheme to protect the world
By Mark Hosenball and Richard Cowan
‘WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An ex-CIA employee working as a contractor at the U.S. National Security Agency said on Sunday he was the source who leaked details of a top secret U.S. surveillance program, acting out of conscience to protect "basic liberties for people around the world."… Edward Snowden, 29, said he had thought long and hard before publicizing details of an NSA program code-named PRISM, saying he had done so because he felt the United States was building an unaccountable and secret espionage machine that spied on every American.
Snowden, a former technical assistant at the CIA, said he had been working at the super-secret NSA as an employee of contractor Booz Allen. He said he decided to leak information after becoming disenchanted with President Barack Obama, who he said had continued the policies of predecessor George W. Bush.’
The greatness of the American people is that once in a while there will be honourable men and women who were pricked by their conscience to stand out and tell the ugly truth to protect fellow citizens. There were Woodward and Bernstein of Watergate, Bradley Manning and Julian Assange of the Wikileak, and now this leak that revealed some of the obnoxious things the American Administration is doing in the name of good for the country.
Many leaders of democratic countries, walking under the halo of goodness, conduct and act in very dubious manners, even targeting their own citizens. And not many countries have civil servants who are honourable and brave enough to expose their evil political leaders. Some even drink from the same cup and enjoy the holy patronage and largesse.
This is what Snowden said, "I'm willing to sacrifice all of that (US$200k salary) because I can't in good conscience allow the U.S. government to destroy privacy, Internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building."
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BBC
[Q&A: Prism and privacy -
What does Prism tell us about privacy protection?]
"Both international govts and the world's biggest tech companies are in crisis
following the leaking of documents that suggest the US govt was able to access detailed records of individual smartphone and internet activity,
via a scheme called Prism."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22839609
So what is the impact of this guy exposing US spy scheme?
Is he saying what many may already know and which nothing much can be done?
Will it stop US from spying?
How will China, which was also accused by the US of spying for their technology, react?
Will it stop Sinkieland from being a close ally with the US?
Or will things carry on as usual?
What do you think?
Yes things will carry on as usual.
For instance in Sinkieland, the WP will remain the best opposition but not ready to become govt even until 2016 and beyond.
And there will also be some more protests in Hong Lim Park and redbean will continue to blog.
Some things never change. And for a long time.
Snowden said, "I'm willing to sacrifice all of that (US$200k salary) because I can't in good conscience allow the U.S. government to destroy privacy, Internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building."
I wonder if Snowden will still say the same thing if he was paid S$1 million salary. And offered directorship in gahmen-linked companies after he retires.
After all, US$200K salary is peanuts.
Assange is actually Australian.
Humanities Fall From Favor -
Far Fewer Harvard Students Express Interest in Field With Weak Job Prospects
=====================
- this gahmen got very good market timing
- spending untold millions on yet another soon-to-be-busted investment project
Source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324069104578527642373232184.html?mod=e2tw
Well in Sinkieland, we have a former Director of ISD who seemed to be disenchanted with the system under which this little red dot is governed. He has his own blog and occasionally put out some posts critical of the govt. But no secret from him.
He is not a Sinkie, or a scholar, and did not join PAP. Therefore he was not paid a S$1 million salary.
He is only worth a US$200K salary and maybe job was also not guaranteed and without pensions.
We also have a Indonesian born ISD Director..
But no secret from him.
oldhorse42 June 11, 2013 9:03 am
That guy already left his ISD Director job more than 40 years ago.
You want outdated secrets?
Redbean - Julian Assange is an Australian, but I know where you are coming from.
Ya I know he is Aussie. He gave Pte First Class Manning a helping hand.
Many people can access your phone records. All the CS staff in the telco can do so, the police can do so, the gov can do so. Your internet activity can easily be checked using some primitive software. Nothing is private. Everything and everyone is just a trackable number of this slave society. Privacy has always been a myth. No privacy (not censorship) is required to gain power, maintain order, security and stability.
Reuters
[In Asia, dissidents worry that U.S. may share Prism data]
By Kevin Lim and Ben Blanchard
SINGAPORE/BEIJING, June 11
Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:24am EDT
"Some of these groups include legitimate political parties,
others are dissidents given U.S. assistance.
But they are worried that data collected by the NSA and the FBI from U.S. Web giants like Google Inc, Facebook Inc and Yahoo inc
could some day be used against them.
In Singapore, where authorities keep a close eye on opposition groups and political commentary,
some people use encryption programs to avoid surveillance.
'If you are concerned about electronic eavesdropping, you can use pidgin IM -
it has an encryption module for instant messaging,' said Donaldson Tan, editor of socio-political website New Asia Republic.
'There is also Tor client for online anonymity,' he said,
referring to 2 popular free software programs developed by volunteer programmers to guard against network surveillance.
Asked if he was concerned whether the U.S. govt would share surveillance information with Singapore authorities, given the friendly ties between the 2 countries,
Tan said: 'The U.S. is really hard to read'.
A Singapore govt spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
NO MORAL HIGH GROUND
Several people in the region said the reports of govt access to e-mails and phone calls were not surprising.
'This latest revelation, if true, is really no more than putting proof to suspicion,' said Howard Lee, a blogger who often writes about political and social issues in Singapore.
'As citizens of democracies, our response should not be fear, but a concerted voice to demand accountability and transparency.
I believe this is the current aim of civil society groups in Singapore.'"
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/11/usa-security-asia-idUSL3N0EN1BA20130611
The Bangkok Post
[UNITED STATES -
Surveillance scandal signals a creeping police state]
Philip J Cunningham is media researcher covering Asian politics.
"The oft-invoked US claim of high moral ground rings increasingly hollow these days.
When it comes to leaders not reading 'other people's mail' there are few gentlemen left standing,
and if there are, the leader of the US is not among them."
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/354610/surveillance-scandal-signals-a-creeping-police-state
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