Wouldn't it be easier to try and push for a return to a more open/free society? I don't see how a monarchy solves anything in the US.
> unless every other nation stops doing this there is little value in being the only "clean" country (assuming somehow we stop)
If there is little value in being "clean", intelligence agencies have minimal to 0 oversight and accountability, and a non-trivial percentage of the population wants them to dominate geopolitics through any means necessary, how will we ever have an open/free society again?
Hypocrisy aside, in theory it would be possible to have an open society domestically even if these tools are used internationally.
1. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/16/magazine/what-an-uncensor...
2. https://www.thenation.com/article/cias-student-activism-phas...
3. https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000538627....
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Hastings_(journalist)
I have no doubt that these tools are used against domestic targets, perhaps not from the CIA but certainly by agencies like the FBI - I work in aviation and routinely see mystery flights. Everyone in the office can guess what they are (http://imgur.com/a/17hSR - 6 hours of circling - Maybe they had a warrant, who knows.
My point was that even if we could somehow stop domestic mass surveillance, I'm not sure it we would stop using them internationally or even have any obligation to do so?
I don't think it's possible to value open and free societies while spying on the entire world for the purposes of asserting your geopolitical dominance. Freedom for me but not for thee.