Snowden (2016) - Quotes

The Safety of Constant Movement

Taglines: The only safe place is on the run.

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Surveillance and Justice in One Nation

Taglines: One nation under surveillance for liberty and justice for all.

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The First Rule of Battle

Corbin O'Brian: What's the first rule of battle?

Edward Snowden: Never reveal your position.

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Data Collection Comparison Between U.S. and Russia

Edward Snowden: So, this is data collection for the month of March worldwide, emails and Skype calls. So France, 70 million. Germany, 500 million. Brazil, two billion. Inside the U.S., 3.1 billion emails and calls. That's not including any of the telecom company data.

NSA Dep. Director Lowell: Okay, so what's the collection in Russia?

Edward Snowden: Russia is 1.5 billion.

NSA Dep. Director Lowell: Wait, so we're collecting twice as much in the U.S. as we are in Russia?

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Exploring Hidden Data in Digital Searches

Gabriel Sol: So think of it as a Google search, except instead of searching only what people make public, we're also looking at everything they don't. So... Emails, chats, SMS, whatever.

Edward Snowden: Yeah, but which people?

Gabriel Sol: The whole kingdom, Snow White.

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Choices and Responsibilities in High Pressure Situations

Edward Snowden: So, you're, um, an engineer?

Hank Forrester: Am I an engineer? Instructor and counselor, too. I'm supposed to keep an eye on you CTs, make sure you don't buckle under the pressure. Turn to drugs and booze.

Edward Snowden: Well, you won't have that problem with me. I don't drink or do drugs.

Hank Forrester: What is your sin of choice?

Edward Snowden: Uh, computers.

Hank Forrester: Well, then, Snowden, you've come to the right little whorehouse.

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Surveillance Technology and Its Hidden Mechanisms

Gabriel Sol: Optic Nerve. It's camera and mic activation. I wish we could take credit, but the Brits wrote it. Yeah, her laptop's off. Or was, she just forgot to close it. Of course, how would she know? This shit is so sly, the webcam light doesn't even turn on.

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The Reality of Intelligence and Funding

Hank Forrester: You would think intelligence would count for something in the intelligence business. Right. But you wanna know what it really is? What really sets the agenda? Military industrial happiness management. You keep the coffers open in Congress, you keep the money flowing to the contractors.

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The Paradox of Observation

Hank Forrester: Sometimes, the more you look, the less you see.

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Advancements in Technology Over Time

Hank Forrester: [about the [[w:Cray-1|Cray-1] ].] The first supercomputer. You can get all of this on a cell phone now.

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Security Over Freedom: A National Perspective

Corbin O'Brian: Most Americans don't want freedom, they want security.

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The Relationship Between Secrecy and Security

Corbin O'Brian: Secrecy is security and security is victory.

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The Importance of Intelligence Over Force

Corbin O'Brian: Bombs won't stop terrorism, brains will, and we don't have nearly enough of those. I'm gonna give you a shot, Snowden.

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Future Cyber Threats and Global Stability

Corbin O'Brian: In 20 years, Iraq will be a hellhole nobody cares about. Terrorism's a short-term threat. The real threats will come from China, Russia, Iran. and they'll come as SQL injections and malware. Without minds like yours, this country will be torn apart in cyberspace.

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The Ubiquity of Modern Warfare

Corbin O'Brian: The modern battlefield is everywhere.

Data for the People, No Hidden Agenda

Edward Snowden: Look, Mr. MacAskill, uh, this is not about money or anything for me. There's no hidden agenda. I just wanted to get this data to established journalists like yourselves, so that you can present it to the world, and the people can decide either I'm wrong or there's something going on inside the government that's really wrong.

Concerns About Future Generations and Surveillance

Edward Snowden: And it's just gonna get worse for the next generation, as they extend the capabilities of this sort of architecture of oppression.

Surveillance: The Reality of Modern Life

Edward Snowden: No matter who you are, every day of your life, you're sitting in a database just ready to be looked at.

Uncovering Global Surveillance Practices

Edward Snowden: You didn't tell me we were running a dragnet on the whole world, Corbin.

The Truth Behind Government Surveillance

Edward Snowden: And ultimately, the truth sinks in that no matter what justification you're selling yourself, this is not about terrorism. Terrorism is the excuse. This is about economic and social control. And the only thing you're really protecting is the supremacy of your government.

Embracing Freedom Through Present Contentment

Edward Snowden: I think the greatest freedom that I have gained, the fact that I don't have to worry about what happens tomorrow, Because I'm happy with what I've done today.

The Legacy of the Nuremberg Trials

Edward Snowden: You ever hear about the Nuremberg trials, Trev? They weren't that long ago. Yeah, well, the big shots were the first trial, but then the next trial were just the judges, and lawyers, and policemen, and guards, and ordinary people just doing their jobs, following orders. That's where we got the Nuremberg principles, which then the UN made into international law, just in case ordinary jobs become criminal again.