In 2013, Edward Snowden did what every American in their position should. For years, he sat at the centre of the imperial panopticon. He saw the underbelly of the beast, and saw what an ugly creature it is. He then did the most responsible act possible: he disclosed it.
Americans live under a profound propaganda and surveillance state. The surveillance state seeks to have the watchful eye of the state and of capital observe each little thing they do. The propaganda state seeks to both obscure this reality and invent a new one. Americans are often unwilling to come to terms with this: they either intentionally or unwillingly refuse to.
Very little of Permanent Record is about the 2013 disclosures. We get a sweeping view of Snowden’s life, from his childhood in Maryland to adult life working in the so-called “intelligence community” (IC). His recollection is often cheesy, but otherwise thoughtful. It’s easy to relate to his upbringing: growing up on a computer, the son of an engineer.
One thing that Snowden tries to make clear is that he’s not some kind of left-wing radical. He thinks of himself as an American, though-and-through. His upbringing was all-American, and he’ll consider himself an American until the day he dies. Of course, the point of this is really to contrast against his detractors.
I would’ve wished he spoke more about his life in Russia. There are indeed many reasons he likely chose not to.
4/5
Written 19 January 2025
Adapted from my review on Goodreads.
Notes
- a bit cheesy sometimes :’), but otherwise really thoughtful
- can’t really call Snowden a left-wing radical
- Snowden is a product of the west’s techno-conservatism (not really the right term) that advocates for personal freedoms from corporations and the government