*NSG Peace Prize* 2013

[Death Metal]

Anybody but Snowden: Because the only prizes he deserves are Hypocritical Glory Whore Of The Year and the War Prize.

[Estado Paulista]

Anybody but Snowden: Because the only prizes he deserves are Hypocritical Glory Whore Of The Year and the War Prize.

This.

[Gallup]

Anybody but Snowden: Because the only prizes he deserves are Hypocritical Glory Whore Of The Year and the War Prize.

This.

[The Alma Mater]

Anybody but Snowden: Because the only prizes he deserves are Hypocritical Glory Whore Of The Year and the War Prize.

Yesyes. It is all Snowdens fault. In no way any blame rests on the US government that used their security agencies primarily for industrial espionage against foreign companies and allied countries - and not for, say, protection against terrorism. Because it was Snowden who made the USA unsafe.

[Blazedtown]

[*]Edward Joseph Snowden (individual, United States of America)
because he "has - in a heroic effort at great personal cost - revealed the existence and extent of the surveillance, the U.S. government devotes [to] electronic communications worldwide. By putting light on this monitoring program - conducted in contravention of national laws and international agreements - Edward Snowden has helped to make the world a little bit better and safer...” (Stefan Svallfors

Bolded for bullshit.

[Death Metal]

Anybody but Snowden: Because the only prizes he deserves are Hypocritical Glory Whore Of The Year and the War Prize.

Yesyes. It is all Snowdens fault. In no way any blame rests on the US government that used their security agencies primarily for industrial espionage against foreign companies and allied countries - and not for, say, protection against terrorism. Because it was Snowden who made the USA unsafe.

Actually, by making a public spectacle and leaving the country with classified documents that could have ended up in anyone's hands, that's exactly what Snowden did.

You can be a whistleblower without being an attention whore who seeks asylum in tyrannical nations that actually do oppress their citizens' rights.

And if you seriously think the US is the only country that spies on it's allies, you're incredibly naive. If anything, I'd be more worried if we weren't. Counterintelligence is also spying, you know.

[Risottia]

You can be a whistleblower without being an attention whore who seeks asylum in tyrannical nations that actually do oppress their citizens' rights.

Well, considering how privacy is also a right, looks like mr.Snowden merely fled from one rights-denying country to another.

[Death Metal]

You can be a whistleblower without being an attention whore who seeks asylum in tyrannical nations that actually do oppress their citizens' rights.

Well, considering how privacy is also a right, looks like mr.Snowden merely fled from one rights-denying country to another.

You want to complain about privacy, you take it up with the companies that you willingly and willfully agreed to give up your privacy to, who then gave your information willingly and willfully to the NSA.

[Risottia]

Well, considering how privacy is also a right, looks like mr.Snowden merely fled from one rights-denying country to another.

You want to complain about privacy, you take it up with the companies that you willingly and willfully agreed to give up your privacy to, who then gave your information willingly and willfully to the NSA.

Considering how it is the NSA who acquires the equivalent of stolen good... I'll complain to whatever judiciary I like against the NSA if I feel to do so.
Anyway, no, I did not agree to give up my privacy to companies. Thank you so much.

Back to the subject, I have to agree that mr.Snowden doesn't come out exactly as an altruistic crusader.

[Death Metal]

You want to complain about privacy, you take it up with the companies that you willingly and willfully agreed to give up your privacy to, who then gave your information willingly and willfully to the NSA.

Considering how it is the NSA who acquires the equivalent of stolen good...

In the way that bottling water from a public fountain is theft maybe.

Also, you mean to tell me to you don't use Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or Youtube?

[Risottia]

Also, you mean to tell me to you don't use Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or Youtube?

That's immaterial. The law which prohibits those service providers from giving off personal information to third parties is above the validity of any possible contract. By the way, the same law prohibits third parties not specifically and explicitly authorised by me from gathering or keeping or obtaining my personal data.

[Death Metal]

Also, you mean to tell me to you don't use Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or Youtube?

That's immaterial. The law which prohibits those service providers from giving off personal information to third parties is above the validity of any possible contract. By the way, the same law prohibits third parties not specifically and explicitly authorised by me from gathering or keeping or obtaining my personal data.

Are you talking about the Stored Communications Act? Because what the NSA takes with is actually legal under that (United States vs. Warshak was about direct email content) and also falls under Third Party Doctrine.

Also, the EULAs of those sites allow them all to change their policies, including their privacy policies, without notice.

[Risottia]

That's immaterial. The law which prohibits those service providers from giving off personal information to third parties is above the validity of any possible contract. By the way, the same law prohibits third parties not specifically and explicitly authorised by me from gathering or keeping or obtaining my personal data.

Are you talking about the Stored Communications Act?

No, as it is immaterial in my circumstance.

Because what the NSA takes with is actually legal under that (United States vs. Warshak was about direct email content) and also falls under Third Party Doctrine.

The NSA taking anything from me commits an illegal act.

Also, the EULAs of those sites allow them all to change their policies, including their privacy policies, without notice.

Any illegal change to a contract isn't legally valid.

Dlgs 196/2003. Previously, Dlgs 675/1996.

http://www.garanteprivacy.it/home_en/it ... egislation

And if you wish to claim that the US law takes precedence over Italian law in Italian territory and in .it domains, lol.

[Death Metal]

And if you wish to claim that the US law takes precedence over Italian law in Italian territory and in .it domains, lol.

Care to tell me which of those services I listed is based in Italy?

[72o]

Snowden could have sold his information to foreign intelligence agencies for probably millions. Instead he made the information public despite being aware of the consequences. You might not agree with him, but he definitely did what he believed is the moral thing to do.

[Death Metal]

Snowden could have sold his information to foreign intelligence agencies for probably millions. Instead he made the information public despite being aware of the consequences.

Since we don't actually know how much information he has, and given that it took so long for him to release some of what he had, you can't be certain he didn't try.

And no, his intentions are not noble. At the end of the day, the only thing he's truly accomplished is make himself famous. And it would have been very, very simple for him to distribute this information anonymously if he wanted to.

[Occupied Deutschland]

Snowden could have sold his information to foreign intelligence agencies for probably millions. Instead he made the information public despite being aware of the consequences.

Since we don't actually know how much information he has, and given that it took so long for him to release some of what he had, you can't be certain he didn't try.

And no, his intentions are not noble. At the end of the day, the only thing he's truly accomplished is make himself famous. And it would have been very, very simple for him to distribute this information anonymously if he wanted to.

One could make the argument that Snowden has been beneficial to the move towards prodding people into caring more about civil rights violations committed by the US government precisely because he became famous. That it galvanized news more than an anonymous whistle-blowing would or possibly even could have.

[72o]

Snowden could have sold his information to foreign intelligence agencies for probably millions. Instead he made the information public despite being aware of the consequences.

Since we don't actually know how much information he has, and given that it took so long for him to release some of what he had, you can't be certain he didn't try.

Any SA would have jumped at such an opportunity.

And no, his intentions are not noble. At the end of the day, the only thing he's truly accomplished is make himself famous.

He accomplished what he tried to. He made puplic to which extend the NSA was monitoring communications.

And it would have been very, very simple for him to distribute this information anonymously if he wanted to.

wrong.

[Frisivisia]

You can be a whistleblower without being an attention whore who seeks asylum in tyrannical nations that actually do oppress their citizens' rights.

Well, considering how privacy is also a right, looks like mr.Snowden merely fled from one rights-denying country to another.

Collecting phone records is exactly the same thing as what Russia does. Of course.

[Death Metal]

Well, considering how privacy is also a right, looks like mr.Snowden merely fled from one rights-denying country to another.

Collecting phone records is exactly the same thing as what Russia does. Of course.

Venezuela and Ecuador brutally suppresses all free speech and journalism with methods up to and including execution, but it's okay for people to seek asylum there because the NSA has access to information that you publicly give away on a daily basis.

[Post-Keynesian Economics]

While it is kind of pointless looking at where the votes are, I'd like to make a brief case for human rights activists in Russia.

Some people have pointed out that they are disorganized and not always efficient. I think that's true. But I don't think it matters in the context of why they deserve this prize.

We see all sorts of rights rallies (particularly LGBT events) in this country, and I think we sort of take it for granted.

They key here is these people are protesting with a significant chance of being put in prison or punished, but with little chance of benefits that they will see anytime soon. They will sacrifice their freedom for a greater cause. Yet they have brought attention to Russia, and they are making progress however little. In fact, Russia has now decided to relax its protest laws with the olympics coming up. And why? Because the perseverence of the activists in Russia has proven that the laws will only cause problems for them.

These activists are also bringing LGBT rights to the forefront of international relations for once, because this is the most controversial and discussed topic about the upcoming olympics. We aren't having the normal "are they ready?" discussion. Instead we're having this discussion.

[Estado Paulista]

While it is kind of pointless looking at where the votes are, I'd like to make a brief case for human rights activists in Russia.

Some people have pointed out that they are disorganized and not always efficient. I think that's true. But I don't think it matters in the context of why they deserve this prize.

We see all sorts of rights rallies (particularly LGBT events) in this country, and I think we sort of take it for granted.

They key here is these people are protesting with a significant chance of being put in prison or punished, but with little chance of benefits that they will see anytime soon. They will sacrifice their freedom for a greater cause. Yet they have brought attention to Russia, and they are making progress however little. In fact, Russia has now decided to relax its protest laws with the olympics coming up. And why? Because the perseverence of the activists in Russia has proven that the laws will only cause problems for them.

These activists are also bringing LGBT rights to the forefront of international relations for once, because this is the most controversial and discussed topic about the upcoming olympics. We aren't having the normal "are they ready?" discussion. Instead we're having this discussion.

[Alvaria and Cagwenyn]

Oh Lord not Snowden!

[Risottia]

The poll is over, and a single nominee has attained a plurality of votes.
The Committee declares the proceedings of Fourth Edition of the NSG Peace Prize to be closed and presents the winner with the Prize.

Read the proclamation of the Fourth Edition (2013) here.

The NSG Peace Prize will return in October 2014 with its Fifth Edition.