Maybe you're forgetting, but this is the real world. Ideally, the government should be afraid of its people, but the US is in a far from ideal situation right now.
Which is exactly the reason why people should realize that whatever was done by Snowden is good for them. Because what Snowden did is good for them and if the government opposes it in any way then government opposes what is good for the people. Government is the enemy of the people. People should go against their government.
(Besides, I said should be rather than is. :)