Wake the fuck up! This isn't about Apple. It's about an out of control military that's spying on all of us and threatening our way of life and our livelihoods.
Because more often than not, the answer is "Because it draws clicks". Since that isn't the case here, the next step is typically "Is this unique or specific to Apple, and does the issue at hand pertain to other devices or OSes?" In OPs opinion, it isn't. His evidence is the high cost of zero day exploits relative to other platforms.
He's not "defending Apple by saying their competitors are worse", he's providing context to an article that provides none itself. If negative articles about Apple weren't such rabid click bait, this wouldn't be needed as it would be part of the reporting process. Unfortunately, that isn't the case.
"Wake the fuck up!" is an extremely patronizing sentiment. I can be both aware of the overall NSA situation while simultaneously defending Apple from knee-jerk reactionaries. They aren't mutually exclusive activities.
2. This is a linkbaity article that needs to be corrected. This correction may be an important factor in determining which devices are more secure.
3. Yes, the NSA spying fiasco is the bigger topic here. No, it's not a competition.
It has been Apple's strategy all along to get you to buy literally everything from them. Their USP was to have it all integrated.
Problem is: Once you understand that at least 1 peace of your integrated platform is foul, your whole equipment "looses value" for you, because it's now less integrated.
It's a similar strategy to how banks have been protecting themselves: Be/remain "too big to fail", meaning: Become so big that, when your bottom line is under attack (by whatever market forces), the whole society suffers. Thus, society will protect you, no matter how you behave.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5949
:-P