Glenn Greenwald

terrorist mean justify

“Terrorism': the word that means nothing, yet justifies everything.”

—Glenn Greenwald

side responsible say

“I don't have a 'side'—I'm responsible for what I say and nothing else.”

—Glenn Greenwald

transparency public powerprivacy

“Transparency is for those who carry out public duties and exercise public power. Privacy is for everyone else.”

—Glenn Greenwald

freedom measure dissident loyalist

“But the true measure of a society’s freedom is how it treats its dissidents and other marginalized groups, not how it treats good loyalists.”

—Glenn Greenwald

war terrorism drugs poverty invocation

“The fact that war is the word we use for almost everything—on terrorism, drugs, even poverty—has certainly helped to desensitize us to its invocation; if we wage wars on everything, how bad can they be?”

—Glenn Greenwald

USA American politicaø culture outpace satire

“American political culture quickly and always outpaces any attempt to satirize it.”

—Glenn Greenwald

society freedom obedient citizen dissident

"The ultimate test of a society's freedom is not how it treats its good, obedient, compliant citizens; it's how it treats its dissidents.

—Glenn Greenwald

propaganda melodramatic press fear false government claim

"The term propaganda rings melodramatic and exaggerated, but a press that—whether from fear, careerism, or conviction—uncritically recites false government claims and reports them as fact, or treats elected officials with a reverence reserved for royalty, cannot be accurately described as engaged in any other function."

—Glenn Greenwald

elite class operate limits plunder degrade cheat fortify power

"An elite class that is free to operate without limits - whether limits imposed by the rule of law or fear of the responses from those harmed by their behavior - is an elite class that will plunder, degrade, and cheat at will, and act endlessly to fortify its own power."

—Glenn Greenwald

secrecy linchpin power force trabsparency antidote

" Secrecy is the linchpin of abuse of power, . . . its enabling force. Transparency is the only real antidote."

—Glenn Greenwald

history mass surveillance stifle dissent compliant fearful

"History shows that the mere existence of a mass surveillance apparatus, regardless of how it is used, is in itself sufficient to stifle dissent. A citizenry that is aware of always being watched quickly becomes a compliant and fearful one."

—Glenn Greenwald