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Notes -
It's literally happening in Iowa right now. You are correct that the US federal government shouldn't be singled out. Most states are just as bad. That's because it's an issue with Americans, not something particular to Washington DC. The US federal government is what it is because of politicians and personnel from those states. It doesn't exist in a vacuum or as an entity beyond the United States demos.
As for Snapchat, you already found a case involving significant proactive surveillance, which ought to be illegal. What I was talking about hasn't happened yet, but it's a fair guess that it will with new technologies and the way Americans are becoming even more hysterical about this topic.
As for Europeans, sure, every society has hypocrisy and its ups and downs. The United States is not the worst country on Earth right now, nor in history. But it is probably the most narcissistic. And it is probably worse than Europe unless you really value shouting the N word or making Nazi salutes in public.
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