On 10.06.13 02:21, "nativebuddha" <nativebuddha@gmail.com> wrote:
Here's a splendid interview with Snowden:
m.guardiannews.com/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveill ance
Yes, splendid indeed - in part as it evokes a political question: Snowden is hoping for asylum in Iceland. And beyond the political question of whether or not Iceland will do him the favor - does it ultimately make any difference? That is: given (a) the global reach of not simply the technologies but these particular NSA systems, etc. - as they are (b) apparently fully complied with by the corporate powers that, to put it in a somewhat oversimplified but still not entirely false way, own and manage "the Internet" (Google, Cisco, and the rest of the usual suspects) - where these corporate powers, being businesses and all that (you don't have to be a Marxist here, or even a scholar of political economy, though it helps) have the pressures of profit as primary motivators, not staunch defense of human rights and democracy [something most of us conspire with, however passively, as we consume and use their "free" services, etcetera ad nauseam] (c) - can any single government, or even the E.U. (and, e.g., Norway, which, while not a member of the E.U., has data protection laws at least as stringent, and in at least one way even more so), stand as some sort of alternative domain / system that can successfully establish significant barriers against (a) and (b) in the name of human rights and democracy - while still connected, of course, to "the Internet"? As many here know better than I, the recently implemented E.U. data privacy regulations concerning cookies (basically, users are asked to opt-in to the use of cookies before proceeding further) made Google, Facebook, and other U.S.-based firms apoplectic: this will "break the Internet," they said (threatened?). Mine still seems to be working, thank you. But the current regulations under review will not only be still more stringent but also have real teeth - significant fines based on global revenue for violations. Based on recent reports, the U.S.-based resistance - exemplified by boatloads of lobbyists in Brussels - is, understandably, even more fierce. There's already a great deal, of course, both in the scholarly and more popular literature, over these differences. I have some suspicions here (and even a bit of hope - however contrary such hope may seem to the U.S.-based powers that be (political, economic, corporate), and consumer complicity therewith). But I would be very interested in and grateful for the thoughts and reflections of list members with more detailed knowledge and insight on these matters than I have (a pretty low bar ...) as to how these debates, already pretty fierce, may be affected and play out in light of the NSA activities, etc.? Many thanks, finally, to Robert for kicking up this thread, and to Rick for the rich and articulate backgrounds and springboards. Best, - c.