Glenn GreenwaldThinkers

Abuse of power's (n.) linchpin ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠and enabling force is secrecy. Transparency is the only real antidote.

Abuse of power (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠inevitable when people in power can operate in the dark. This is why you need outside forces such as journalism to bring light and transparency to what they're doing.

An Authoritarian (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠willing blindly to assume that government accusations are true without any evidence presented or opportunity to contest those accusations.

Fearlessness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠capable of becoming its own form of power.

A Free society's (n.) ultimate ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠test is how it treats its dissidents, not how it treats its good, obedient, compliant citizens.

Free speech (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠best not assaulted. To do so is to transform bigots into martyrs.

Journalism (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠never objective. Being 'accused' of 'advocacy' means little more than that one is challenging and deviating from DC orthodoxies.

Journalism (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠when exercised as it should be, an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what they do in the dark, and informing the public about those acts.

The NSA (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠simply of the opinion that nobody should be able to communicate anywhere on the Earth without them being able to invade it.

Political power (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠when acquired in the name of some threat, always extended beyond its original application, beyond its original justification.

Privacy (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not only for those involved in hiding criminality. Few care so little for it that they would make their email password public. Whether it be a call on our own or on an intimate's behalf to an HIV clinic, a suicide hotline, a doctor, a spouse, a psychiatrist, political activity, there are things that need not be public.

Public office (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠necessarily grounded in a relinquishing of privacy. Transparency is required for those who exercise public power. Privacy is for everyone else.