Thomas Jefferson, in a letter from Paris to a friend,--
Quote:If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Govenors, shall all become wolves.
How can we be attentive when we don't know what's going on and a man has to risk his freedom to let us know.
It does seem to be a very important aspect of public affairs that our communications are routinely intercepted by the billion and stored for future use.
If it is said that Mr Jefferson lived in a bygone age and has no relevance now then it ought to be at least considered that everything else he said falls under the same provenance.
Taking him at his word, it would seem that he would have thought that the hounding of Mr Snowden was the policy of those who seek to rule as wolves might.
Although it is quite possible that members of hoi polloi who claque along with the hounding are merely seeking to be awarded gold stars by the authorities so that, if the **** hits the fan, they will be rewarded by positions in the new state that emerges for being so very, very good and all.
That being a particularly important consideration for Media franchises and what not besides it being so for individuals.
Mr Jefferson also said that--
Quote:. . . .honest republican governments should be so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much.
