[malandrew]

I'm sorry for being so curt after you spent time on a long thoughtful answer, but the mere existence of parallel construction suggests that you are wrong on this. I think most of the rest of the infractions can be equivocated via bureaucracy, negligence or a belief that the processes in place actually do protect Americans, but parallel construction is so far beyond what is ethical and what is within the jurisdiction of the NSA that it is indefensible. However just because someone can explain away some of the wrongdoings committed by otherwise well intentioned people, that does not mean that we, the people, should accept this. What is going on presents a far far greater existential threat to everything our nation stands for than any terrorist in history. Nations heal from almost all single acts of violence, such as 9-11. However what we have going on right now is a metastasizing cancer that is spreading to all agencies and even local police forces.

If parallel construction is not 180 degrees then I don't know what is.