When we think about what actually matters when it comes to institutions (public or private) one very important thing is trust.

The NSA has eroded much of the trust it once had. This reduces its effectiveness as an organization and puts all Americans and American companies at increased risk.

Those who committed the crimes revealed by Snowden should be brought to justice, the program dismantled, the hardware auctioned off, and the money returned to taxpayers.

One does not have to be a privacy zealot or an anarchist to believe that the NSA should act within the law.