I'd honestly expect something this ridiculous and intellectually insulting to have been said by an NSA official during an interview. There no possible politica

I'd honestly expect something this ridiculous and intellectually insulting to have been said by an NSA official during an interview. There no possible political engagement at this point. Agencies of major governments can quite secretly and even illegally engage in mass surveillance, as they documentably have. They can even spy on each others' citizens. The only way you can force issues out into the open where they can be politically engaged is by making secret surveillance impossible. "Make sure the other side has an easier way out than destroying you." That only works when the other guy isn't already dedicated to destroying every vestige of your privacy.