JPB: The nation state is exactly the wrong kind of government to work well in an information age.
Snowden: There is something to be said for the ponderous nature of the nation state in the modern age.
JPB: The first step is having someone like you who is capable, willing and able to stand up and say "I have had enough." I hate the fact that you are practically alone in this. We are doing our best to proliferate your kind.
Snowden: I appreciate the compliments but the reality is that I didn't do anything special. I did a civic duty. If you are sitting at my desk and you see this massive violation of the public interest, what would you do? We have to say "I'm not special". I'm not morally gifted.
JPB: You are brave and you are not pretending to be asleep. The Navajo have a saying that you cannot awaken people that are pretending to be asleep. A large percentage of the American people are playing possum.
Snowden: We do need to wake up. We might trust our officials now but there is no guarantee that we would trust them in the future. The question is "What are you going to do about it?"
JPB: I hope that question will ring in everything we do here in the next couple of days. The USA exists to ask that question and to answer it right. God Bless you Ed Snowden for helping us ask that question.
[standing ovation]
Snowden: When I did what I did last year, my greatest fear was that nobody would care. People in this room show that that is not the case. We can't change this situation overnight. The fact that we are talking about this, that you are talking about this, shows that we will get a better government. I just returned information to the public hands where it belonged. Seeing this level of support encourages me that you will.
JPB: This is a good time to announce that we have started the Courage Foundation to help in the legal defense of Edward Snowden. Freesnowden.is can receive donations on our behalf. It's going to take a lot.
In the meantime, you can help Reset the Net.
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