Newsmax reports that according to according to KRC Research about 64 percent of Americans familiar with Snowden hold a negative opinion of him. However 56 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 have a positive opinion of Snowden which contrasts sharply with older age cohorts. Among those aged 35-44, some 34 percent have positive attitudes toward him. For the 45-54 age cohort, the figure is 28 percent, and it drops to 26 percent among Americans over age 55, U.S. News reported. Americans overall say by plurality that Snowden has done “more to hurt” U.S. national security (43 percent) than help it (20 percent). A similar breakdown was seen with views on whether Snowden helped or hurt efforts to combat terrorism, though the numbers flip on whether his actions will lead to greater privacy protections. “The broad support for Edward Snowden among Millennials around the world should be a message to democratic countries that change is coming,” says Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. “They are a generation of digital natives who don’t want government agencies tracking them online or collecting data about their phone calls.” Opinions of millennials are particularly significant in light of January 2015 findings by the U.S. Census Bureau that they are projected to surpass the baby-boom generation as the United States’ largest living generation this year.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by SrLnclt on Thursday April 23 2015, @04:37PM
While I strongly support Snowden and what he has done, at this point they might be right.
He tried to start a national debate on privacy vs. security, and to some degree succeeded. There are three ways things can go from here - the pendulum can swing toward personal rights and privacy, it can swing toward providing more surveillance, or we can maintain the status quo. The world is ever changing, so I see maintaining the status quo unlikely. Unless enough people voice their opinions and convince the people with the power in the government to roll back some of these programs and protect individuals constitutional rights, the powers that be are going to be emboldened. If nobody tells them no, that means they will push the envelope even further. There will also be those in certain 3 letter organizations that feel betrayed by Snowden and push for even tougher security and governmental oversight of people's daily lives.
I believe a bigger surveillance state will actually do more to hurt US national security than help it. It will erode relationships with international players (except maybe those who are in the inner circle and sharing information). It will cause companies to avoid business with the US and US based companies. At this point I am also unsure anything substantial for personal privacy may come of the Snowden revelations. While not the direct cause, Snowden's actions may lead to an even bigger surveillance state, which will hurt US national security.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 23 2015, @07:40PM
The surveillance state will create new secular terrorists. Aaron Swartz committed suicide but what if he had visited an NSA facility instead?
(Score: 1) by TestablePredictions on Thursday April 23 2015, @08:29PM
I find your prediction chilling but very probable.
(Score: 2) by tathra on Friday April 24 2015, @03:37AM
one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. if we start getting suicide bombers and attacks on government facilities on US soil, its because our democracy has been broken beyond repair and we've been forced to resort to our final responsibility as citizens of a democracy - "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants".