REDDIT AMA: Pentagon Papers Leaker Daniel Ellsberg Calls Eric Snowden His Hero

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Chad PeaceChad Peace
Published: 15 Jan, 2014
2 min read

Well, we know Eric Snowden is a traitor. Just like Benedict Arnold. Arnold turned his back on the patriots and gave our secrets to the British, put on a big red coat, and proceeded to make an English muffin topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce.

 Snowden, quite similarly, gave away our secrets. He fled to Russia, where he presumably has to wear a big coat. Not sure what breakfast food he’s cooking up just yet though.

True, the NSA is only tracking the conversations of about 350 million Americans. Well, plus the leaders of other countries. And, ok, they have put spy-ware into the computers of unknowing foreign consumers. Hi General Alexander!

But the story we're talking about is one of a Governor that, for speculative reasons, may have had something to do with causing traffic. Why? Because that's what matters more in the partisan game the politicos play. Politicos who could just get over the partisanship by not talking about it so much.

And then there is Reddit.

Reddit AMA_Daniel Ellsberg_Eric Snowden

And here's the first question.

Daniel,I am currently writing my college senior thesis on your leaks in comparison to that of Manning and Snowden. I have 3 major questions:1) The historical context is extremely important when understanding the public reaction to leaks of this magnitude. What do you think are the biggest factors of difference between the time period in which you leaked the pentagon papers and the current time period in which Snowden has released his information?2) This one is more of grouped in with the other, but Noam Chomsky writes extensively on "Manufacting Consent" and the many filters that are applied to the media. Do you believe that because of the wealth of technology that is now available, has it become harder or easier to filter important information (such as your leaks and that of Snowden)?3) In 1971, the political climate was tense, and you released the Pentagon Papers in a time period in which protest was seen as helping further social goals. What do you think is so different now that there are not widespread protests across the country, given the gravity of Snowden's leaks?Thank you if you have the time to reply, it would be quite informative and helpful for my research.

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