In a democracy, the citizens are supposed to have all the power, and the government is supposed to be the means by which the citizens exercise that power. But when you have a surveillance state, the state has all the power, and citizens have very little.

In this quote, Trevor Paglen addresses the core principle of democracy, where the citizens are supposed to hold the ultimate power, and the government acts as a tool through which they exercise that power. Paglen points out that in an ideal democratic system, citizens are in control, and their elected officials are accountable to them. However, he warns that when a state becomes a surveillance state, this power dynamic shifts dramatically.

A surveillance state is one in which the government uses technology and surveillance methods to monitor its citizens' activities, often without their knowledge or consent. In such a system, the government accumulates vast amounts of power and control over individuals' lives, while citizens lose their ability to exert meaningful influence or maintain privacy. Paglen highlights that in these conditions, the roles are reversed, and instead of citizens controlling the government, the government becomes the entity that has unchecked authority over the citizens.

Paglen’s statement is a critique of the erosion of freedoms that can occur when the government is empowered to monitor and control its people through surveillance. By monitoring every aspect of life, a surveillance state diminishes the ability of citizens to engage freely in democratic processes and undermines the very foundation of a functioning democracy. In this context, citizens become passive subjects of state power rather than active participants in governance.

Ultimately, Paglen’s quote serves as a warning about the dangers of unchecked government power. It stresses the importance of maintaining the balance of power in a democracy, ensuring that citizens retain the ability to make decisions, express opinions, and preserve their privacy, free from government overreach.