Understanding the NSA Mass Surveillance programs - made easy

The NSA Mass Surveillance programs are NOT counter terrorism measures - that is not the priority. 
They are very ineffective for that as Boston demonstrated.

The real priority is to gather as much material as possible on every American. 
The purpose of which is to blackmail and intimidate anybody that might upset the government in the future, in order to suppress domestic political dissent. 

They are an extremely effective tool for that.

They will run a query on their massive database after someone becomes a "person of interest - a political enemy. 

Anyone the government doesn't like. 

A potential whistle blower. 
Occupy protesters. 
Climate change protesters. 
Anti Monsanto organizers. 
Gun rally organizers. 
Tea Party people. 
A troublesome journalist - there aren't many of those these days. 
Someone who gets too vocal or accurate in criticizing the NSA. 
Someone who gets too vocal in criticizing a particular government policy. 

etc. etc.

Then of course there is direct political control. 
See what they have on :- 

National politicians 
State politicians 
State Party leaders 
Federal judges. 
Top military. 
Senior government officials. 
Business people.
Media pundits.

The list is almost endless as to how this massive information and power could be used. 

Do you know who is going to get elected in 2016? 
Do you know they won't use it in all of these ways? 

The time to speak up against this is NOW

Boston

Nobody mentioned Boston, at the NSA hearings yesterday - why not? 
How come with this Mass data collection program the Boston bombing wasn't stopped? 
There was a wealth of evidence that the elder brother posed a substantive terrorist threat. 
The FBI had been keeping tabs on him for at least 2 years previously BECAUSE he was a substantive terrorist threat. 
That risk only increased during his 6 month visit to the Caucasus where he mixed with Islamic hate preachers. 
Yet he was down graded on the watch lists - how come? 
N.B Neither the Patriot Act nor Mass Surveillance was required to keep tabs on the bomber. 
The FBI already had plenty of PROBABLE CAUSE to obtain a warrant.