Why Edward Snowden's Leaks Have Empowered All of Us

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/knowledge-metadata-power

If the expression knowledge is power - attributed to the English Renaissance philosopher Francis Bacon - is true, then it implies, among other things, that its opposite is also true. That is, if knowledge is power, then the lack of knowledge, or ignorance, amounts to a lack of, or exclusion from, power. As such, removing, obscuring, or hiding knowledge - in a word, secrecy - not only creates power, it produces powerlessness, weakness, and vulnerability as well. Indeed, as Elias Canetti phrased it in his Crowds and Power: "Secrecy lies at the very core of power." As the state, then, acquires ever more knowledge/power through such programs as PRISM, 'the people' in general - in spite of the State's dubious claims of enhancing security and safety - are only further weakened, put into an ever more vulnerable, precarious position. In addition to the myriad political, legal, and ethical issues embedded in the debate concerning the whistleblower Edward Snowden's ongoing disclosures of classified information, this nonconsensual, actual precarization of the public (by secretive state and private-sector agencies whose authority to gather this power is by no means clear) constitutes a substantial harm in itself.

As such, those who argue that mass surveillance is wrong because it leads to horrible things at the bottom of a slippery slope entirely miss the point. Notwithstanding the fact that the 'slippery slope' is a logical fallacy, the harm under consideration does not lie in some hypothetical future. Beyond present-day trespasses to people's privacy, this actual disempowerment, which replaces political subjectivity with political subjugation to an unprecedentedly powerful state, is a present, concrete harm. That the disclosure of secrets disrupts this unprecedented aggrandizement of power to some degree explains why whistleblowers like Bradley Manning, Edward Snowden, and others are exposed to such vengeful persecution. Insofar as whistleblowers have exposed this secrecy, along with its contents, they have not only redistributed knowledge, but have redistributed and threatened power as well.

Though US political culture has traditionally (if only nominally) claimed to be suspicious of concentrations of power, in reality order - as opposed to liberty - is predicated on just such concentrations. To be sure, while people like to point to the Constitution's separation of powers schema as evidence of this alleged enmity to tyrannical concentrations of power, it is nothing short of a political-economic fact that that which is subject to separation hardly comprises actual power. For let us not forget that the US is a 'representative democracy.' And the interests represented in local, state and federal government alike are overwhelmingly those of the rich. This should not be too contentious a claim. Not only do the rich bankroll practically every candidate running for public office - and so act as gatekeepers to political office - the Supreme Court's notorious decision in Citizens United (which holds that money is consubstantial with political speech) only amplifies this dynamic; in spite of any rhetoric to the contrary, one's political power is contingent on one's economic power.

When one factors into this the reality that economic power has concentrated to unprecedented levels over the past few decades - to such a degree that the top 1% of the country now controls more than 42% of the country's wealth - it takes willful blindness to fail to see that power is not only notseparated, it is concentrated into what without hyperbole can be described as tyrannical intensities.

[dipsydoodle]

1. In other words

you think you've got democracy whereas in reality its just an illusion.

[The Straight Story]

2. Reminds me of Clive Barker's novel: The Great and Secret Show (nt)

[xchrom]

3. indeed. nt

[Fuddnik]

23. Pretty much.

Excellent book on the subject by Sheldon Wolin, "America Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism".

http://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Incorporated-Managed-Inverted-Totalitarianism/dp/069114589X

Definitely a must read. I bought it after it was heavily referenced in Chalmers Johnson's last book.

[leveymg]

26. For a very forward-looking 1980 take on this, read Bertram Gross' "Friendly Fascism."

Gross says that America has kept its nice venier of folksy Jeffersonian yeoman democracy, while at the same time constructing the world's most deadly technocratic state that serves an authoritarian business elite. His thesis has stood up well. Extracts here: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fascism/Friendly_Fascism_BGross.html

[Kolesar]

4. MacAfee calls his website "too risky to visit"

Whoa!
Are you sure you want to go there?
http://p8e8.com/?sov=02567ivnzwv0.jvt may be risky to visit.

what it says on alternet, before the "redirection": hygiecracy.bogspot.com

[silvershadow]

6. Thanks for pointing that out. I will just stay here, where the worst if flame bait. nt

[Civilization2]

7. Yes there seems to be some NSA attempts to hack this information from easy access,.

I posted the rest of the great essay here, as they are trying to block it through hackery and lies,. as is their normal procedure.

The truth will out.

[Civilization2]

5. Thanks for posting this excellent essay, there is more at the link, here is the second half;

"So, although Obama may argue that checks and balances are in place and that what the national security state is doing is legal because the three branches of representative government agree that it passes constitutional muster should not be terribly persuasive; let us not forget, Obama claims that due process requirements are satisfied when officials confer in secret to select who gets placed on secret kill lists. Even the New York Times, in a recent editorial responding to disclosures of mass surveillance, proclaimed that "the [Obama] administration has now lost all credibility on this issue."

With his dystopian Disposition Matrix, his secretive drone strikes, his massive surveillance programs, including PRISM, and his record-breaking prosecutions and persecutions of whistleblowers - not to mention ongoing abuses at Guantanamo, among other places - well into his second term in office it is not difficult to see that Obama's presidency is far from offering a corrective to the excesses of the Bush years. Indeed, although George W. Bush's aggrandizement of the executive branch was exceptional, it pales when compared to Obama's permanentization of what, under Bush, were still temporary powers. And as secrecy confers more and more power, and leaks and disclosures of secrets threaten this power, it is unsurprising that Obama will pursue Snowden, and others, with the tenacity of those zealots whom Obama claims to be the cool, polar opposite of.

While it may sound grandiose, it is nevertheless the case that by disclosing secret information, such as the existence of PRISM, Edward Snowden has to some degree fragmented and dispersed the concentrated power of capital and the state. And as more revelations are said to be on the way, it is interesting to consider the meaning of the word revelation, and to note that revelation is the English word for what in Greek is termed apocalypse. Apocalypse, of course, carries a double meaning. Not only does it connote unconcealment, the revelation of what is hidden and secret; it also denotes the destruction of a world. And perhaps this is what Obama and the class he represents are so terrified of after all: that the injustices that are being revealed will lead to the end of their world of power. Hopefully it will - and will lead to the instantiation of a world in which justice, as opposed to dominating power, is realized."

Amazingly concise bit of writing, that hits with the truth, right between the eyes.

NOTE; Do NOT hit the link to the authors blog, as it has been hacked. Guess the NSA don't like his work. lolz

[Decoy of Fenris]

30. Jury Results:

REASON FOR ALERT:

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. (See <a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=aboutus#communitystandards" target="_blank">Community Standards</a>.)

ALERTER'S COMMENTS:

Worse than Bush bullshit. This post includes crazy talk.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Wed Jul 3, 2013, 11:29 AM, and the Jury voted 0-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: He's only posting what was in the link which he didn't submit.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Poster is quoting article.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: I'm voting to leave it because the alerter used a naughty word and offended my delicate sensibilities. Also, I had a good day at work and have no desire to hide anyone's post; they worked hard on it. Might I suggest you try to refute the post in question as opposed to trying to stifle dissent? If not, perhaps go do something constructive, like tending a garden, knitting, juggling chainsaws, or other such stress-relieving activities.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: The member didn't write it, he is just supplying more of the OP article.

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[Civilization2]

32. Thanks for posting that good to see the jury system work,.

I only posted the rest of the article due to the strange hacking going on on the original site.

I guess when you gore someones sacred cow they make claims of "crazy talk",. lolz

It it funny as the essay is pointing out the fact that Bush's programs where temporary and only made perpetual under Obama,. how this make one a Bush support I do not know. If we can not criticize Obama's policies what does that make us?

[Decoy of Fenris]

33. Don't look at me; I'm just the messenger. I've got no dog in this fight. Have a good one. :)

[OneGrassRoot]

8. What a fabulous essay. K&R n/t

[Vietnameravet]

9. So tell us how terrorists threats

are to be countered without spying..

[sibelian]

11. Alternatively, why don't you tell us how spying DOES counter them

... given that Boston got blown up not so long ago.

In your own time.

[Civilization2]

12. You have a better chance of getting hit by lightning, then being harmed by a "terrorists".

perhaps the NSA should monitor lightning?

[rhett o rick]

36. The NSA doesnt want to prevent terrorist hits. In fact they gain power every time one occurs.

The NSA wants to be able to control the American population via terrorism.

[Jackpine Radical]

15. Radical Islamism is in large measure a response

to US imperialism. One way of countering terrorism would be to stop pissing off the rest of the world by stealing all their stuff from them.

[dhill926]

17. There is that.....

[sabrina 1]

20. That is way too logical a suggestion to be understood in the 'security state' we live in.

Imagine a US Representative trying to explain this to our current leaders. All that MONEY that would be lost if we were to stop stealing resources from other nations. So long as it is profitable to kill people it will continue.

[leveymg]

27. Radical Islam is largely a construct originally intended to be a rival to Arab Socialism and

nationalism. Going back to the early 1950s, the main supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood were the western intelligence services.

Salaafist Islam is a Genie that has decided it doesn't want to go back into the bottle and is tired of masters.

[Jackpine Radical]

29. I didn't know that.

But of course it makes perfect sense.

The Muslim Brotherhood--another fine political force brought to you by the people who brought you the Taliban, Pol Pot (via unseating Sihanouk), Pinochet, the Shah, Ferdinand Marcos, Saddam Hussein, etc.

[leveymg]

31. Here are some links on the CIA-MI6/MB-AQ partnership.

http://disquietreservations.blogspot.com/2012/06/cia-mi6-mossad-brotherhood-trick-egypt.html
http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=uk_secret_intelligence_service

[pocoloco]

19. No fucking brainer!

Quit fucking over people!!

[Fuddnik]

24. We could stop creating them with drone strikes and invasions for starters.

Stop installing stooge Governments like The Shah, all over Central and South America, Vietnam.......ad infinitum......

[HiPointDem]

35. tell us why 85% of fisa warrants are for drug cases.

[chimpymustgo]

10. K&R. Incredible read. Thank you posting!

[cantbeserious]

13. Thank You For Sharing

eom

[kentuck]

14. If knowledge is power then ignorance is lack of power.

"Secrecy lies at the very core of power".

I would have to agree with that.

[Douglas Carpenter]

16. knr

[Dustlawyer]

18. That is why I will keep spreading the solution

until it catches on:
COMPLETE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM (CCFR). Publicly funded elections are what we need to be in the streets protesting for en mass!

[Enthusiast]

22. If there was one focus that would be it.

Can you even imagine the propaganda effort against it.

I would make it illegal for politicians and candidates to receive any gift, of any kind, for any reason, ever.

[Fuddnik]

25. Could you even imagine these corrupted bastards giving up their advantage willingly?

[Enthusiast]

28. It would mean war! nt

[Enthusiast]

21. Oh, yeah?

What about teh mushroom cloud?

[Waiting For Everyman]

34. K&R So on target.

Thanks for posting this.