Yes, I can't argue with that -- many of us in the US think that too.
There is no fine line delimiting the data they collect here and abroad though, and going through a foreign government to collect information assumes they are willing to help stop the activity in question. Hence, a reasonable amount of what they do abroad is to help safeguard their own citizens, and the issue isn't systemic so much as how difficult it is to keep things in check. Abuse of power and the real need for secrecy go hand in hand.
So while I'd like to see a whole lot less of my government (any government, really) digging into my business, I cannot discount the need for them to be able to do it "just a little." It certainly would be nice if the penulties for abusing that power were more than a simple wrist-slap, and even nicer if there were more safeguards in place to prevent it -- but I'm a realist and it's more effective to stay focussed on the extremes, where the real insanity lies.
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