Letter To Michael Leunig Analysis
Dear Michael Leunig,
I had an interview with a CNN reporter today. Unfortunately, the intelligent lady wasn’t intelligent enough to ask me all the relevant questions. Instead of addressing the sinister secrets of the NSA that I had so courageously revealed, she concentrated on me as a whistleblower, daring to ask questions like “So how are you dealing with all the hate?” Honestly, what else could I have expected from a CNN reporter? That’s all this is to these people; a tabloid, a piece of gossip. Their heads are too full of other people’s irrelevant lives, to absorb the information right in front of them that actually can make a difference in the world. All I did was act out of my conscience. The world is clearly constructed by our actions, but they’d rather establish the world as a superficial trap of consumerism, with …show more content…
no real appreciation of the simplistic delights of nature, such as the honourable concept of truth. I refuse to be just a ‘story’ to consume. Unfortunately, you and I can spend our whole lives trying to teach others, but profit will always be more important to them than the soul of a human being. As long as war is good for business, they will continue sending out soldiers to perpetrate such murderous violence against inhabitants. And as long as celebrity scandals sell, they will continue to look over the imperative evidence fortunately handed over to them out of good intent, and focus on the unnecessary trash. I stopped drinking the moment I realized that the corporations wanted me drunk, passive, and politically aloof.
Sincerely,
Edward Snowden
Dear Michael Leunig,
I had an interview with a CNN reporter today. Unfortunately, the intelligent lady wasn’t intelligent enough to ask me all the relevant questions. Instead of addressing the sinister secrets of the NSA that I had so courageously revealed, she concentrated on me as a whistleblower, daring to ask questions like “So how are you dealing with all the hate?” Honestly, what else could I have expected from a CNN reporter? That’s all this is to these people; a tabloid, a piece of gossip. Their heads are too full of other people’s irrelevant lives, to absorb the information right in front of them that actually can make a difference in the world. All I did was act out of my conscience. The world is clearly constructed by our actions, but they’d rather establish the world as a superficial trap of consumerism, with no real appreciation of the simplistic delights of nature, such as the honourable concept of truth. I refuse to be just a ‘story’ to consume. Unfortunately, you and I can spend our whole lives trying to teach others, but profit will always be more important to them than the soul of a human being. As long as war is good for business, they will continue sending out soldiers to perpetrate such murderous violence against inhabitants. And as long as celebrity scandals sell, they will continue to look over the imperative evidence fortunately handed over to them out of good intent, and focus on the unnecessary trash. I stopped drinking the moment I realized that the corporations wanted me drunk, passive, and politically aloof.
Sincerely,
Edward Snowden
Dear Edward Snowden,
I cannot imagine why you agreed to such an interview in the first place. There is nothing organic or natural about the citizens in this deluded society. Everyone has an objective that coincides with the general aspirational model of ‘work hard, study hard, be better than the parents, move up, be richer, buy more”. This competitive, selfish desire that has been implemented into the minds of humanity, except those who are strong enough to immunise themselves against the disease, is what has caused no depth or real appreciation to your inspiring decision to act out on your conscience. I understand that you want this to purely be about what the US government is doing. What so many people fail to realize is that what we do indeed shapes our future reality. Do not lose hope, Snowden. Many intelligent people, who aren’t CNN reporters, are indeed taking your exposure of NSA surveillance revelations into intense consideration.
I wholeheartedly agree with your statement of war as a business. I am ashamed of living in a national culture that glamorises soldiers. I do not owe my ration of happiness, sanity or spiritual health to militarism. The mind can travel a long way in a minute’s silence during Anzac Day. It verily provokes in me the question: What sort of person volunteers to devote their life to the skills of destruction and the business of hunting, trapping and slaughtering humans? I apologize going off topic here, but this is something I am passionate about, and I am grateful that we share a compatible view. Soldiers have been honoured more than enough. It saddens me that there is little cultural recognition of those who have refused the way of violence, jingoism, and homicide, but have still managed to serve their country in creative, beneficial, and unglorified ways. All wars are fought for money.
Sincerely,
Michael Leunig
Dear Edward Snowden,
I cannot imagine why you agreed to such an interview in the first place. There is nothing organic or natural about the citizens in this deluded society. Everyone has an objective that coincides with the general aspirational model of ‘work hard, study hard, be better than the parents, move up, be richer, buy more”. This competitive, selfish desire that has been implemented into the minds of humanity, except those who are strong enough to immunise themselves against the disease, is what has caused no depth or real appreciation to your inspiring decision to act out on your conscience. I understand that you want this to purely be about what the US government is doing. What so many people fail to realize is that what we do indeed shapes our future reality. Do not lose hope, Snowden. Many intelligent people, who aren’t CNN reporters, are indeed taking your exposure of NSA surveillance revelations into intense consideration.
I wholeheartedly agree with your statement of war as a business. I am ashamed of living in a national culture that glamorises soldiers. I do not owe my ration of happiness, sanity or spiritual health to militarism. The mind can travel a long way in a minute’s silence during Anzac Day. It verily provokes in me the question: What sort of person volunteers to devote their life to the skills of destruction and the business of hunting, trapping and slaughtering humans? I apologize going off topic here, but this is something I am passionate about, and I am grateful that we share a compatible view. Soldiers have been honoured more than enough. It saddens me that there is little cultural recognition of those who have refused the way of violence, jingoism, and homicide, but have still managed to serve their country in creative, beneficial, and unglorified ways. All wars are fought for money.
Sincerely,
Michael Leunig
Dear Michael Leunig,
I am content with what I did. I am not afraid, because this is the choice I’ve made. You can’t wait around for someone else to act. I had evaluated every single document I disclosed to ensure that each was legitimately in the public interest, without exposing evidence that would harm an individual. My aim was not do harm anyone; I believe in peace. I don’t see myself as a hero, I merely don’t want to live in a world where there’s no privacy and therefore no room for intellectual exploration and creativity. It is already difficult to be an individual in this shallow society, yet alone with a massive surveillance machine. And after reading a large category of your work, it’s comforting to know that you feel the exact same way as I. We both believe in exposing reality.
I think perhaps that modern humanity is badly loved. However, you cannot blame them. We need to know and reveal who we are before love can exist; otherwise there is no organic ground for real engagement. The images of power continue to loom over our streets and byways to remind all citizens of the charming, strong, good-looking, successful, and wealthy. The media wants us to strive for perfection but they don’t want us to feel that way, so we keep consuming. The people in this society tremble at the thought of failure and rejection. They have forgotten what human authenticity looks like and when honesty was once admired, instead of being detested as an offensive liability.
Sincerely,
Edward Snowden
Dear Michael Leunig,
I am content with what I did. I am not afraid, because this is the choice I’ve made. You can’t wait around for someone else to act. I had evaluated every single document I disclosed to ensure that each was legitimately in the public interest, without exposing evidence that would harm an individual. My aim was not do harm anyone; I believe in peace. I don’t see myself as a hero, I merely don’t want to live in a world where there’s no privacy and therefore no room for intellectual exploration and creativity. It is already difficult to be an individual in this shallow society, yet alone with a massive surveillance machine. And after reading a large category of your work, it’s comforting to know that you feel the exact same way as I. We both believe in exposing reality.
I think perhaps that modern humanity is badly loved. However, you cannot blame them. We need to know and reveal who we are before love can exist; otherwise there is no organic ground for real engagement. The images of power continue to loom over our streets and byways to remind all citizens of the charming, strong, good-looking, successful, and wealthy. The media wants us to strive for perfection but they don’t want us to feel that way, so we keep consuming. The people in this society tremble at the thought of failure and rejection. They have forgotten what human authenticity looks like and when honesty was once admired, instead of being detested as an offensive liability.
Sincerely,
Edward Snowden
Dear Edward Snowden,
We must resist this brutalisation of the modern world. There is a regnant idea that insanity is something belonging to lone individuals, to those odd people who are obviously not like the rest of society. There seems to be little active authority or understanding in the matter of the persistent shared madness in everyday life. The loss of individuals is due to a market-driven fait accompli that redefines the reality of who we are and what we must submit to. This is what causes the soul to suffer. It’s the lunacy of the soul, the cold human hollowness, the emotional flatness and numbness, the moral emptiness because ‘thou shalt be attractive’ is the eleventh commandment of our time. We are brainwashed consumers, forced into narrow views and boring realities. Let us also not forget the contemporary, man-made, verily spreading dependency on technology that has been injected into the minds of the younger generations. Evidently, it now rules the lives of modern humanity by attaching itself to almost every task possible. Slowly, but surely, citizens are becoming the confirmative, occupied, submissive robots that the government blueprinted decades ago.
Thank you for not being afraid, Edward Snowden. Thank you for not forgetting your right to free speech and political dissent. Thank you for realizing that leadership is about being the first to act. We need to continue valuing humanity and escaping the horror of this anti-human world. We must continue to stay in touch with the simple delights of nature, instead of skimming over the superficial surface.
Sincerely,
Michael Leunig
P.S. You might not be aware, but it’s Anzac Day. I’m currently having coffee and jokes with a Turkish man, which is probably the most meaningful and fair dinkum dawn service I could possibly have.
Dear Edward Snowden,
We must resist this brutalisation of the modern world.
There is a regnant idea that insanity is something belonging to lone individuals, to those odd people who are obviously not like the rest of society. There seems to be little active authority or understanding in the matter of the persistent shared madness in everyday life. The loss of individuals is due to a market-driven fait accompli that redefines the reality of who we are and what we must submit to. This is what causes the soul to suffer. It’s the lunacy of the soul, the cold human hollowness, the emotional flatness and numbness, the moral emptiness because ‘thou shalt be attractive’ is the eleventh commandment of our time. We are brainwashed consumers, forced into narrow views and boring realities. Let us also not forget the contemporary, man-made, verily spreading dependency on technology that has been injected into the minds of the younger generations. Evidently, it now rules the lives of modern humanity by attaching itself to almost every task possible. Slowly, but surely, citizens are becoming the confirmative, occupied, submissive robots that the government blueprinted decades
ago.
Thank you for not being afraid, Edward Snowden. Thank you for not forgetting your right to free speech and political dissent. Thank you for realizing that leadership is about being the first to act. We need to continue valuing humanity and escaping the horror of this anti-human world. We must continue to stay in touch with the simple delights of nature, instead of skimming over the superficial surface.
Sincerely,
Michael Leunig
P.S. You might not be aware, but it’s Anzac Day. I’m currently having coffee and jokes with a Turkish man, which is probably the most meaningful and fair dinkum dawn service I could possibly have.
I had an interview with a CNN reporter today. Unfortunately, the intelligent lady wasn’t intelligent enough to ask me all the relevant questions. Instead of addressing the sinister secrets of the NSA that I had so courageously revealed, she concentrated on me as a whistleblower, daring to ask questions like “So how are you dealing with all the hate?” Honestly, what else could I have expected from a CNN reporter? That’s all this is to these people; a tabloid, a piece of gossip. Their heads are too full of other people’s irrelevant lives, to absorb the information right in front of them that actually can make a difference in the world. All I did was act out of my conscience. The world is clearly constructed by our actions, but they’d rather establish the world as a superficial trap of consumerism, with …show more content…
no real appreciation of the simplistic delights of nature, such as the honourable concept of truth. I refuse to be just a ‘story’ to consume. Unfortunately, you and I can spend our whole lives trying to teach others, but profit will always be more important to them than the soul of a human being. As long as war is good for business, they will continue sending out soldiers to perpetrate such murderous violence against inhabitants. And as long as celebrity scandals sell, they will continue to look over the imperative evidence fortunately handed over to them out of good intent, and focus on the unnecessary trash. I stopped drinking the moment I realized that the corporations wanted me drunk, passive, and politically aloof.
Sincerely,
Edward Snowden
Dear Michael Leunig,
I had an interview with a CNN reporter today. Unfortunately, the intelligent lady wasn’t intelligent enough to ask me all the relevant questions. Instead of addressing the sinister secrets of the NSA that I had so courageously revealed, she concentrated on me as a whistleblower, daring to ask questions like “So how are you dealing with all the hate?” Honestly, what else could I have expected from a CNN reporter? That’s all this is to these people; a tabloid, a piece of gossip. Their heads are too full of other people’s irrelevant lives, to absorb the information right in front of them that actually can make a difference in the world. All I did was act out of my conscience. The world is clearly constructed by our actions, but they’d rather establish the world as a superficial trap of consumerism, with no real appreciation of the simplistic delights of nature, such as the honourable concept of truth. I refuse to be just a ‘story’ to consume. Unfortunately, you and I can spend our whole lives trying to teach others, but profit will always be more important to them than the soul of a human being. As long as war is good for business, they will continue sending out soldiers to perpetrate such murderous violence against inhabitants. And as long as celebrity scandals sell, they will continue to look over the imperative evidence fortunately handed over to them out of good intent, and focus on the unnecessary trash. I stopped drinking the moment I realized that the corporations wanted me drunk, passive, and politically aloof.
Sincerely,
Edward Snowden
Dear Edward Snowden,
I cannot imagine why you agreed to such an interview in the first place. There is nothing organic or natural about the citizens in this deluded society. Everyone has an objective that coincides with the general aspirational model of ‘work hard, study hard, be better than the parents, move up, be richer, buy more”. This competitive, selfish desire that has been implemented into the minds of humanity, except those who are strong enough to immunise themselves against the disease, is what has caused no depth or real appreciation to your inspiring decision to act out on your conscience. I understand that you want this to purely be about what the US government is doing. What so many people fail to realize is that what we do indeed shapes our future reality. Do not lose hope, Snowden. Many intelligent people, who aren’t CNN reporters, are indeed taking your exposure of NSA surveillance revelations into intense consideration.
I wholeheartedly agree with your statement of war as a business. I am ashamed of living in a national culture that glamorises soldiers. I do not owe my ration of happiness, sanity or spiritual health to militarism. The mind can travel a long way in a minute’s silence during Anzac Day. It verily provokes in me the question: What sort of person volunteers to devote their life to the skills of destruction and the business of hunting, trapping and slaughtering humans? I apologize going off topic here, but this is something I am passionate about, and I am grateful that we share a compatible view. Soldiers have been honoured more than enough. It saddens me that there is little cultural recognition of those who have refused the way of violence, jingoism, and homicide, but have still managed to serve their country in creative, beneficial, and unglorified ways. All wars are fought for money.
Sincerely,
Michael Leunig
Dear Edward Snowden,
I cannot imagine why you agreed to such an interview in the first place. There is nothing organic or natural about the citizens in this deluded society. Everyone has an objective that coincides with the general aspirational model of ‘work hard, study hard, be better than the parents, move up, be richer, buy more”. This competitive, selfish desire that has been implemented into the minds of humanity, except those who are strong enough to immunise themselves against the disease, is what has caused no depth or real appreciation to your inspiring decision to act out on your conscience. I understand that you want this to purely be about what the US government is doing. What so many people fail to realize is that what we do indeed shapes our future reality. Do not lose hope, Snowden. Many intelligent people, who aren’t CNN reporters, are indeed taking your exposure of NSA surveillance revelations into intense consideration.
I wholeheartedly agree with your statement of war as a business. I am ashamed of living in a national culture that glamorises soldiers. I do not owe my ration of happiness, sanity or spiritual health to militarism. The mind can travel a long way in a minute’s silence during Anzac Day. It verily provokes in me the question: What sort of person volunteers to devote their life to the skills of destruction and the business of hunting, trapping and slaughtering humans? I apologize going off topic here, but this is something I am passionate about, and I am grateful that we share a compatible view. Soldiers have been honoured more than enough. It saddens me that there is little cultural recognition of those who have refused the way of violence, jingoism, and homicide, but have still managed to serve their country in creative, beneficial, and unglorified ways. All wars are fought for money.
Sincerely,
Michael Leunig
Dear Michael Leunig,
I am content with what I did. I am not afraid, because this is the choice I’ve made. You can’t wait around for someone else to act. I had evaluated every single document I disclosed to ensure that each was legitimately in the public interest, without exposing evidence that would harm an individual. My aim was not do harm anyone; I believe in peace. I don’t see myself as a hero, I merely don’t want to live in a world where there’s no privacy and therefore no room for intellectual exploration and creativity. It is already difficult to be an individual in this shallow society, yet alone with a massive surveillance machine. And after reading a large category of your work, it’s comforting to know that you feel the exact same way as I. We both believe in exposing reality.
I think perhaps that modern humanity is badly loved. However, you cannot blame them. We need to know and reveal who we are before love can exist; otherwise there is no organic ground for real engagement. The images of power continue to loom over our streets and byways to remind all citizens of the charming, strong, good-looking, successful, and wealthy. The media wants us to strive for perfection but they don’t want us to feel that way, so we keep consuming. The people in this society tremble at the thought of failure and rejection. They have forgotten what human authenticity looks like and when honesty was once admired, instead of being detested as an offensive liability.
Sincerely,
Edward Snowden
Dear Michael Leunig,
I am content with what I did. I am not afraid, because this is the choice I’ve made. You can’t wait around for someone else to act. I had evaluated every single document I disclosed to ensure that each was legitimately in the public interest, without exposing evidence that would harm an individual. My aim was not do harm anyone; I believe in peace. I don’t see myself as a hero, I merely don’t want to live in a world where there’s no privacy and therefore no room for intellectual exploration and creativity. It is already difficult to be an individual in this shallow society, yet alone with a massive surveillance machine. And after reading a large category of your work, it’s comforting to know that you feel the exact same way as I. We both believe in exposing reality.
I think perhaps that modern humanity is badly loved. However, you cannot blame them. We need to know and reveal who we are before love can exist; otherwise there is no organic ground for real engagement. The images of power continue to loom over our streets and byways to remind all citizens of the charming, strong, good-looking, successful, and wealthy. The media wants us to strive for perfection but they don’t want us to feel that way, so we keep consuming. The people in this society tremble at the thought of failure and rejection. They have forgotten what human authenticity looks like and when honesty was once admired, instead of being detested as an offensive liability.
Sincerely,
Edward Snowden
Dear Edward Snowden,
We must resist this brutalisation of the modern world. There is a regnant idea that insanity is something belonging to lone individuals, to those odd people who are obviously not like the rest of society. There seems to be little active authority or understanding in the matter of the persistent shared madness in everyday life. The loss of individuals is due to a market-driven fait accompli that redefines the reality of who we are and what we must submit to. This is what causes the soul to suffer. It’s the lunacy of the soul, the cold human hollowness, the emotional flatness and numbness, the moral emptiness because ‘thou shalt be attractive’ is the eleventh commandment of our time. We are brainwashed consumers, forced into narrow views and boring realities. Let us also not forget the contemporary, man-made, verily spreading dependency on technology that has been injected into the minds of the younger generations. Evidently, it now rules the lives of modern humanity by attaching itself to almost every task possible. Slowly, but surely, citizens are becoming the confirmative, occupied, submissive robots that the government blueprinted decades ago.
Thank you for not being afraid, Edward Snowden. Thank you for not forgetting your right to free speech and political dissent. Thank you for realizing that leadership is about being the first to act. We need to continue valuing humanity and escaping the horror of this anti-human world. We must continue to stay in touch with the simple delights of nature, instead of skimming over the superficial surface.
Sincerely,
Michael Leunig
P.S. You might not be aware, but it’s Anzac Day. I’m currently having coffee and jokes with a Turkish man, which is probably the most meaningful and fair dinkum dawn service I could possibly have.
Dear Edward Snowden,
We must resist this brutalisation of the modern world.
There is a regnant idea that insanity is something belonging to lone individuals, to those odd people who are obviously not like the rest of society. There seems to be little active authority or understanding in the matter of the persistent shared madness in everyday life. The loss of individuals is due to a market-driven fait accompli that redefines the reality of who we are and what we must submit to. This is what causes the soul to suffer. It’s the lunacy of the soul, the cold human hollowness, the emotional flatness and numbness, the moral emptiness because ‘thou shalt be attractive’ is the eleventh commandment of our time. We are brainwashed consumers, forced into narrow views and boring realities. Let us also not forget the contemporary, man-made, verily spreading dependency on technology that has been injected into the minds of the younger generations. Evidently, it now rules the lives of modern humanity by attaching itself to almost every task possible. Slowly, but surely, citizens are becoming the confirmative, occupied, submissive robots that the government blueprinted decades
ago.
Thank you for not being afraid, Edward Snowden. Thank you for not forgetting your right to free speech and political dissent. Thank you for realizing that leadership is about being the first to act. We need to continue valuing humanity and escaping the horror of this anti-human world. We must continue to stay in touch with the simple delights of nature, instead of skimming over the superficial surface.
Sincerely,
Michael Leunig
P.S. You might not be aware, but it’s Anzac Day. I’m currently having coffee and jokes with a Turkish man, which is probably the most meaningful and fair dinkum dawn service I could possibly have.