I think it seriously hurts the ability of the NSA to recruit the best and the brightest people (as if the mass surveillance hadn't already hampered things a little too well) if there is a public perception that they are just like IT support of other three letter agencies, mindlessly doing what they order without any discretion.

I hear people say we can't have universal healthcare because a decently priced tri care is one of the main draws for joining the military and we'd have to pay more to recruit and retain soldiers if we have universal healthcare. What basic rights do we curtail so it will be easier for the NSA to recruit in the future?