The lesson of Edward Snowden is one that American students of history will puzzle over for many years if not decades. From the perspective of freedom-loving America the intrusive surveillance of civilian populations in Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany to defend against enemies of the State, stands as one of history's greatest crimes against humanity; an appaling violation of human rights that remains an ugly and bloody stain on the human story. And yet in real numbers and extent, the current degree of surveillance in place by our governmemnt of millions upon millions of civilians dwarfs anything that Stalin or Hitler could have ever imagined or even organized.
The difference between Stalin, Hitler, Bush and Obama, of course, is a belief that our government is benign and accountable. But we would be wrong to ignore the grotesque fact that our benign and accountable government has put the tools of fascism and totalitarianism in place on a scale never before imagined possible in human history--and, until now, without our knowledge.
Jefferson understood that freedom and democracy depended entirely on the accountability of government. In the words of Lincoln, for the people, by the people and of the people. Diane Feinstein is calling Snowden a traitor. I don't think Jefferson or Lincoln would agree.
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