"The things that happen here at NSA really have national and world ramifications."

Like making the rest of the world distrust and hate the USA.

The Canadian Government tried this angle and it blew up in their faces big time. Really really big time.

Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protecting_Children_from_Internet_Predators_Act

The civil disobedience/protest was so large the mail servers of parliament were knocked off line.