If any have felt insulted by it, I apologize without reservation.
However, I will not soften my position with respect to the use of legislation hatched by the use of rhetoric inspiring fear and loathing to pass unnecessary legislation. The US before 9-11 had more than enough laws to deal with any perceived threat, the fact that one administration dropped the ball entirely didn't change this one iota.
This massive data mining program coupled with the construction of a brand spanking new data farm to cope with this excessive abuse of power is more than worrying. This appears to assume that there will be no change to the laws that permit this activity.
The damage to the US amongst its allies of this program, which if not known fully was suspected.
European Union officials have demanded "swift and concrete answers" to their requests for assurances from the US that its mass data surveillance programmes do not breach the fundamental privacy rights of European citizens.
I would say that bar has already been well and truly passed.
After preemptive wars and the pardoning of torture our reputation had already taken a massive hit. Who would/can trust the US now?
I would also say that these "legal" programs are wide open to abuse, and therefore will be abused, if not now, then in the future.
Funny how polls vary on this by party affiliation when one or other party is in power, I trust my lot when they spy on me, nothing bad can possibly happen.
You may well be unconcerned that everything you do can be monitored but will you be as happy when the results are used by the Rubio Administration? If that thought worries you, perhaps it might be worthwhile opposing the program when your party still has the power to change it?
Personally I don't trust anyone enough in DC, nor their corporate sponsors with this amount of access. It is long past time to roll back this legislation, and I have been saying this since the Bush Administration started pushing for them. The fact that we have an Obama Administration, doesn't change my views of them one little bit.