Edward Snowden - Hero of the Week | The Jackal

26 Sept 2014

Edward Snowden - Hero of the Week

The Moment of Truth, which if you were to listen to the mainstream media backfired and caused Labour to lose the election, was for me a very interesting and informative get-together of highly skilled and influential political activists.

Not only did we have a number of reputable journalists who could speak fluently about mass surveillance in New Zealand, the world's two most prominent whistle-blowers, Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, were also video linked into the well-attended meeting.

Snowden, who has clearly highlighted the invasive global surveillance system run by the NSA with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and subservient government's around the world, has managed to inform the public about a clear and present danger to our civil liberties.

That's no mean feat, especially considering the political and technical reach of the Five Eye's network, which appears to be a system designed for the sole purpose of repressing the general public. Thankfully there are people like Edward Snowden in the world who have put aside their fears for no other reason but to benefit humanity.

Yesterday, 3 News reported:

Fugitive US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden has been jointly awarded a Swedish human rights award.

"The 2014 Right Livelihood Honorary Award goes to Edward Snowden for his courage and skill in revealing the unprecedented extent of state surveillance violating basic democratic processes and constitutional rights," the Stockholm-based Right Livelihood Award Foundation said in a statement on Wednesday (local time).

The prize is awarded annually "to honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today", according to the foundation.

As an honorary award winner, the whistleblower - who has lived in exile in Russia since 2013 - will not receive the customary 500,000 kronor (NZ$86,311) prize money, but the foundation said it would "fund legal support for him" without disclosing the amount.

Nominated by two Norwegian politicians, Edward Snowden has rightfully won this human rights award. In fact he even deserves to win a prestigious Hero Award, which isn't just given to anyone.

Well done mate...it's only through perseverance and people doing the right thing like speaking truth to power that we can hope to save our hard fought and won freedom within western democracies.