What's wrong with comparisons? I'm not saying that they are equal. I'm just saying that a paranoid Secret Service (is this a pleonasm?) always wants more and more info about the citizens. This can result in a suspicious atmosphere and a paranoia against external enemies or to kidnapping cases like that of Khaled el-Masri.
I think the NSA is the agency in question here and I'm glad they're paranoid. That means they're doing their job. If a lefty like Obama sees the need for this kind of intelligence gathering, that should tell you something. Hell, several politicians from both parties have spoken up in defense of this. How often does that happen?
