[Spooky23]

Without corroboration, you couldn't really talk about this too much in a public setting, because you'll sound like a conspiracy nut.

There were enough hints out there to realize that there is mass surveillance, but if you suggested the size and scope of what is actually happening in say 2008, people would think that you are a nut.

[wutbrodo]

Warrantless wiretapping was going on starting in 2002.

> you'll sound like a conspiracy nut

Yea I agree, for periods before 2002 it's a lot harder to explain "this assumption seems entirely consistent with the way they've always acted over decades of history" than it is to say "of course they'd do this, here's proof of the last time they did it".