[danenania]

This is very true and the reason that outrage and reform efforts need to focus as intensely on the idea of secret courts and secret law (especially secret law) as on the surveillance itself.

Say what you want about the "balance of security and civil liberties". Secret law and democracy are plainly 100% incompatible and a third grader can understand why. Secret law all but guarantees an eventual transition to outright totalitarian fascism.