As Long as the Checkers are Checked, Everything Checks Out

Although the NSA undoubtably has the ability to spy on our every text, email, phone call, Skype or virtually any other type of electronic communication, do they?  Unless you send or receive encrypted files, they have a reason to spy on you (for instance, if you are a known drug lord), or have a relatively high political standing, chances are the NSA couldn't care less about what you send other people.  Why so many people think the NSA has the time to actively read the texts or watch surveillance footage of 350 million people is beyond me.

 Believe me, as an average citizen, you are not that important to the NSA.  The security of our country does not depend on the lame conversations you have with your boyfriend.  In fact, the NSA has specific measures they take so that they do not spy on innocent American citizens.  Of course, the spying on an innocent citizen probably does happen, but not often, and not for an extended period of time.  Therefore, the problem I have with the NSA is not that I think they are spying on me, it is that they are putting the country at risk by spying on foreign leaders and getting caught doing so.  I realize this is very unpatriotic of me: I care more about the privacy of the foreign leaders than the rights of American citizens being potentially violated.  However, I feel this is a very realistic and rational way of looking at the NSA.  Personally I would rather have my privacy be in jeopardy than have world leaders think more poorly of the United States than they already do.  With checks and balances, I believe that the NSA can be a beneficial organization to the safety and security of the nation.  The main problem with the NSA is the fact that they have consistently disregarded Congress and have carried out their personal agenda without checks and balances.  This allows them the ability to violate citizens rights and also to violate the privacy (and trust) of powerful foreign leaders.  I believe an anonymous blogger says it best: "The Patriot Act and FISA court do not have tight enough procedural safeguards or enough transparency... If men were angels, there would be no need for government."  With checks and balances, and stricter laws, the NSA could be no more corrupt than any other branch of the United States Government.