'Since 9/11, there has been, at first secretly but increasingly openly, a revocation of the bill of rights for which this country fought over 200 years ago.'<blockquote>'In my estimation, there has not been in American history a more important leak than Edward Snowden's release of NSA material – and that definitely includes the Pentagon Papers 40 years ago. Snowden's whistleblowing gives us the possibility to roll back a key part of what has amounted to an "executive coup" against the US constitution.
Since 9/11, there has been, at first secretly but increasingly openly, a revocation of the bill of rights for which this country fought over 200 years ago. In particular, the fourth and fifth amendments of the US constitution, which safeguard citizens from unwarranted intrusion by the government into their private lives, have been virtually suspended.
..
..The NSA, FBI and CIA have, with the new digital technology, surveillance powers over our own citizens that the Stasi – the secret police in the former "democratic republic" of East Germany – could scarcely have dreamed of. Snowden reveals that the so-called intelligence community has become the United Stasi of America.'
- Daniel Ellsberg Edward,
Snowden: saving us from the United Stasi of America, June 10, 2013</blockquote>
Context<blockquote>
'..a total surveillance of [global] citizens.'Magna Carta - MI5 feared GCHQ went 'too far' - '..[the American media] .. subservient to corporate and state power..''When the free free press .. becomes equivalent to an "enemy of the United States" something very, very bad is happening.'</blockquote>