Still waiting, dear worst-reader. Waiting for that moment when it’s revealed that the Snowden leaks have revealed something. Wait–wait. I know–I know. You/Most think the leaks were worth it–even though those leaks are under lock & key by a few money grubbing opportunists. And the reason most people think the leaks were worth it is simple. Everyone needs a boogyman where it can lay blame. And the perfect boogyman is the behemoth, bloated US government. Eh? And that’s ok. If that’s what you want to do–it’s not as though I would defend the behemoth, bloated US government. But this is the (insert # here) time I’ve seen an interview with Edward Snowden and it still hasn’t been revealed (to me) if what he’s revealed contains any significant revealings regarding what exactly the evil behemoth, bloated US government does with its vast spying apparatus. I suppose in the vid above, at about 6:20, something is revealed by the Snowden leaks but that was more like a redacting error and ultimately just embarrassing for the newspaper that printed it. So I ask again, almost like I do here and here, other than us now knowing how the US government spies on countries, national leaders and–thanks to the ingenuity of satirical television–Americans and their #dicpics, what has come from the rigamarole-circus of Edward Snowden? I mean. Seriously! The US spies. Other countries spy. Wives spy on husbands. Neighbours spy. School kids spy. Ok. And now what? Oh. Yeah. There’s television. ¶So I guess John Oliver’s little skit was worth it. For a few moments in the vid I felt pretty uncomfortable watching Snowden’s reactions–which seemed pretty normal for any prude, young, sexually repressed American. But Oliver didn’t take the interview far enough, he didn’t grill this young opportunist enough–because Oliver knows what sells in America ain’t truth and reality. No. What sells in America are penis jokes. And so. The questions that I need answered in order to make the Snowden leaks worthwhile are simple: Who are the people responsible for any illegal, unconstitutional spying? Where is all the illegally acquired data and who controls it? Where is the proof that Google & Co. have cooperated with or were coerced into illegal information gathering of US citizens and who exactly made them do it? Is there any substantial evidence–I mean other than poorly written powerpoint presentations that summarise spying techniques–that shows the US government has broken any laws? ¶Again. I’m not defending the behemoth, bloated US government here. I’m also avidly against the passing of the Patriot Act and think it was even worse than the illegal invasion of Iraq. In fact, repealing the Patriot Act is one thing that would partly restore my faith in the US government. Yet I can’t help but feel that the Snowden leaks will go down in history as the leaks that told us nothing–because I already knew that the US government spies. Didn’t you? But I digress. Rant on. -Tommi
Links:
worstwriter 