Oh cut the libertarian bullshit, 44lilMike.
Aside from the fact that this was started under Bush and stopped under Obama in 2011...
Allow me to invoke the Godwin Law here. Not since the McCarthy Era has this nation taken on the paranoia of the Hitler regime in the 1930's. Intelligence gathering has entered the 21st century. We either keep up or get blown up.
And cut the silly Franklin quotes. I deal with this every day on another forum...some "patriot" quoting one of the founding fathers. Most people have no idea what that founding father meant.
http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2011/09/21-platform-security-wittesSorry I expect my government not to lie to me and at least follow the rules and not break them when said rules are inconvenient. Hey snoop all you want, but there is a little thing called probable cause.
This is where you and I differ. I don't give a fuck what letter is after someone name, if they are doing something that is wrong, well it is wrong.
Don't worry though, not one single fuck is given. Soon we can get back to arguing about guns, gays and abortion. Yippeeee!