How the U.S. Is Spreading 'Procedures of Totalitarianism'

What gives us the right to spy on innocents anywhere abroad without any constraints?

Conor Friedersdorf Oct 10 2013

On Wednesday evening, Eben Moglen of the Software Freedom Law Center delivered the first in a series of lectures at Columbia Law School on Edward Snowden, how to conceive of his leaks, and the impact they're likely to have on the course of world history.
Moglen, a professor of law and legal history at Columbia, felt compelled to begin speaking on these subjects due in part to the radical position being taken by the U.S. and allied governments. As he put it, "We are being told that spying on entire societies is normal." In order to carry out that spying, the U.S. is employing "procedures of totalitarianism," he argued.
Those are strong words. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/10/how-the-us-is-spreading-procedures-of-totalitarianism/280454/