As a Brit, I’m ashamed and disgusted by my government’s oppressive tactics. I’m also slightly embarrassed. Smashing hard drives? What the hell kind of Luddites do we have running this country? What on earth did they think this would achieve? I can’t even begin to grasp the logic behind this Keystone Cops decision.
Good thing data is so hard to make copies of and distribute. Now those dirty terror-hippies will never be able to tell anyone our governments’ secrets!
I can’t imagine that GCHQ employs people daft enough to think smashing hard drives would stop anything. I think this was probably orders from politicians to intimidate. I imagine that the comment about calling off the black helicopters was sarcasm because they knew that their actions were pointless.
Don’t they know how to take the disk out?
Please tell me this is a sick joke. The government has no business raiding the Guardian. I’ve been thinking it’s time to emigrate for a while now…
As a Yank I am ashamed of 1) the NSA and the rest of my government and 2) that a British newspaper is clearly taking the lead on reporting this story.
Snowden made a good choice.
It always amazes me when people don’t understand that information is not a thing. It can’t be stolen like a thing, it can’t be broken like a thing. Claude Shannon’s breakthroughs were what - 60 years ago? 70? And still most people seem mystified by this occult business called information.
“There’s no need to write any more.”
I remain astonished that people will say things like that to journalists. Has the “trust me, there’s no story here” thing ever worked?
I’m looking at the Guardian now and there’s no mention of this. (Or at least my lazy fact checking can’t find one.)
Is there some sort of gag in place?
The responses to Snowden probably tell us more than his leaks did. I’m not sure what the make of that.
There is no evidence that Miranda had any data on him. I hope Greenwald has the data. We need it to restore the constitution and the country. I resolutely believe that the government doesn’t have any right to secrecy especially when a crime has been committed.
If you are a government employee your first job it to uphold the first amendment. If they can’t do that they don’t deserve the job, badge, or uniform. I don’t want to live in a country that doesn’t support our basic human rights. My security is not as important as my freedom and liberty. For me, its better to live free with risk. I do not believe I can live a good life with freedom and liberty.
At which point should the general public consider all these actions basically an act of war against our general well-being and interests?
Or, should we all… just… keep… taking… this?
I agree, what they are doing to us is a war crime. We have to start mobilizing to end this crime. We need a movement. This is no different that ending rule by monarchy, ending slavery, women’s suffrage, or the civil rights movement. We need millions and millions of people to go to Washington and every state capital and demand that this military system of surveillance end and that all the secrets be revealed.
Have you ever been to DC? Newsflash: “millions and millions” of people won’t even fit there.
Categorically untrue, and if you are working with classified material, one of your first responsibilities is appropriate stewardship of such information and data.
bloody police state! so having a free press is a luxury we can no longer afford? bollocks! time for a change of government system I say. we need someone in charge who can keep those damn dogs on a tighter leash
First they came for the hard drives, but I wasn’t a hard drive…
Which in Edward J Snowden’s case, turned out to be a rather complicated process.
