EXCLUSIVE: Edward Snowden Tells Brian Williams: 'I Was Trained as a Spy'

[struggle4progress]

55. Oh, I'm happy to have people question authority. And I've said for years here

that I believe a certain healthy paranoia can fruitfully guide one's thinking about how to search for facts. Nor have I ever made suggested that everyone questioning authority is mentally ill

If people want to figure out how to downsize the overblown US military, fight back against US intervention abroad, educate people about the real dangers of our current national security establishment and work towards limiting it, I think those are all worthy projects

I've tried repeatedly here to get people to think about what step we could take to move forward: if one can organize for taking one step forward, then (win or lose) one can organize again for taking another step forward

But I think you merely promote cynicism, and that is a lazy substitute for careful analysis based on carefully obtained facts. And mouthing support for confused ideologues like Assange or Manning or Snowden is another lazy substitute for careful analysis based on carefully obtained facts. In the end, such lazy substitutes won't carry us anywhere: maybe cynicism, or adopting folk like Assange or Manning or Snowden as symbols of the struggle, makes you feel smart and righteous -- but it won't lead anywhere. The change has to come through political means, but promoting cynicism ultimately promotes depression and inaction

You're free to adopt Assange or Manning or Snowden as heroes -- but in my view, you're just pointing chasing the wind: the real game isn't in the outraged voice of complaint, or in smart-ass cynicism about the current state of affairs, but in the nitty-gritty hard work of learning by experience where we can effectively push today and (when tomorrow comes) where we can effectively push again