How does USG internet snooping overseas jibe with the State Department proclaimed "Internet Freedom"? A question to consider, not yet asked so far as I can tell in the U.S. media, if we Americans wish to carry out a public diplomacy overseas that is not seen as the ultimate expression of U.S. exceptionalism -- our "awesome" (to cite the linguistically unbearable, to some, adjective used by the younger generation and aged hippies) hypocrisy.
Well, at least we naive new-worlders can find consolation in the cynicism of that sybaritic European 17th century nobleman, La Rochefoucauld: "L'hypocrisie est un hommage que le vice rend a la vertu."
La Rochefoucauld image from
See also "How the U.S. Uses Technology to Mine More Data More Quickly," New York Times.
See also.
UPDATE (June 11)
"Someone should explain — perhaps in French, German and Spanish — why our allies’ e-mails are fair game for the agency’s [NSA] prying eyes." -- Eugene Robinson, "Edward Snowden’s NSA leaks show we need a debate," Washington Post
UPDATE (June 12)
Prism Exposed: Data Surveillance with Global Implications - Marcel Rosenbach, Holger Stark and Jonathan Stock, Der Spiegel: "The American intelligence director and the White House have finally confirmed what insiders have long known: The Obama administration is spying on the entire world. Politicians in Germany are demanding answers."
UPDATE (June 18)
"Hillary Clinton made an open and secure Internet supporting freedom around the world a cornerstone of her tenure as secretary of state. She called it the '21st century statecraft' agenda. It was an important program. Little survives of it, however, if its primary supporter — the United States — turns out to be the main proponent of mass global surveillance. No wonder the Chinese and Russians are reveling: You see, we told you so!" -- Roger Cohen, "Obama’s German Storm," New York Times
UPDATE (June 19)
"The China Daily, an English-language mouthpiece for the Communist Party, is having a field day, pointing out America's hypocrisy as the Soviet Union did with Jim Crow. Chinese dissident artist Ai Wei Wei made the link explicitly, saying 'In the Soviet Union before, in China today, and even in the U.S., officials always think what they do is necessary... but the lesson that people should learn from history is the need to limit state power.'
Even America's allies are uneasy, at best. German Chancellor Angela Merkel grew up in the East German police state and expressed diplomatic 'surprise' at the NSA's activities. She vowed to raise the issue with Obama at this week's G8 meetings. The Italian data protection commissioner said the program would 'not be legal' in his country. British Foreign Minister William Hague came under fire in Parliament for his government's participation.
If Americans supported these programs, our adversaries and allies would have no argument. As it is, the next time the United States asks others for help in tracking terrorists, it's more likely than not that they will question Washington's motives.
It's not too late. The PATRIOT Act is up for reauthorization in 2015. In the context of a diminished threat, the White House still has time to push the public debate on still-hidden, controversial intelligence strategies (while safeguarding specific sources and methods). Further, the administration should seek to empower the FISA court. Rather that defer to the Supreme Court to appoint its panel of judges, it would be better to have Senate-confirmable justices serving limited terms." -- Jim Arkendis, "PRISM Is Bad for American Soft Power: We need a real debate on how much privacy we're ready to sacrifice in exchange for security," theatlantic.com
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