Portside

The United States has become so corrupt that the basic principle of the law applying to all equally has long since became a quaint relic. We are back to a system of aristocratic privilege. If we had a rule of law and not of men, Edward Snowden would be given a medal and the following officials would be on the lam to avoid serious jail time.

1. A civil liberties coalition calls for a day of protest against NSA abuses on Feb. 11. 2. Daniel Ellsberg debunks the "oath of secrecy" myth.

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It's easy to praise people who challenge governments of the distant past, and much harder to do so for those who challenge those who wield actual power today.

The New York Times and The Guardian (London) published major editorial statements on New Year's Day, reviewing the evidence that Edward Snowden's whistleblowing on NSA spying has largely been vindicated. They call for the creation of conditions that will allow Snowden to return home with dignity.

In a bleak year filled with bad news, people from Edward Snowden to Elizabeth Warren were brave enough to shake up the establishment. "Fighting the power," as people used to say, is no easy task. Victories are hard to come by and can quickly slide away because the power establishment of money, lobbying, lawyers, PR machines and out-and-out corruption are like Neil Young's rust: they never sleep.

Edward Snowden's Christmas message - together we can end mass surveillance, otherwise "'a child born today will grow up with no conception of privacy at all.' Listen to message broadcast on England's Channel 4; and Washington Post story, based on 14 hours of interviews conducted in Moscow. "All I wanted was for the public to be able to have a say in how they are governed," Snowden said.

Judge Declares Phone Spying a No-No; Internet of Things Coming Up Fast; Many "Things" Are Already Plugged In; Social Media Becomes a Trusted News Source; San Francisco Gets Free WiFi

500 signatories include five Nobel prize winners, Writers demand 'digital bill of rights' to curb abuses

An interview with Sarah Harrison of Wikileaks: Julian Assange's associate and Edward Snowden's guardian angel. She spent the last four months with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and arrived in Germany over the weekend. "When whistleblowers come forward we need to fight for them, so others will be encouraged. When they are gagged, we must be their voice. When they are hunted, we must be their shield. When they are locked away, we must free them."