I just want my packets to make it to their destination, uninspected and un-fucked with, and I want the same for the packets coming back to me.
Unfortunately, this means that all remote servers you interact with need to use HTTPS or the appropriate secure version of the protocol used - but is there an encrypted version of VoIP available ? Barring that, if you only mistrust your local network provider, you need a VPN. With some work, you could also rent a colocated box to install your own.
Who thinks the EU doesn't spy on the US?
Just for measure, as you may not understand the EU institutions.The European Council is composed of the governments of the states of the EU. It usually works by organizing reunions of ministers for each political domain, as well as reunions of the heads of government, and that's currently the place where important decisions are taken. Given that there are 27 members, it is a piece of cake for the US to know what is said in there, and some countries' governments will gladly tell the US if they ask. Except that they may distort the message to fit their interests. Thus, it is interesting for US spys to get the information directly.
But on the political level, this spying is tantamount to bugging the White House's main conference room.
the confirmation dialog would have to present some identifying information about the device
It's not really possible with USB out of the box. In this case the charger is the host, and is at the origin of all transactions. You need to add another layer over the existing protocols to require the host to give some credentials, before changing the device profile and exporting the interesting interfaces. This means a new WHQL certification / kernel update for your drivers, and ensures that it will not happen immediately.
they sure knew how to engineer a damn solid network.
That's what regulated, cost-oriented prices in a monopoly do. Gold plate everything, spare no expense in the research of perfection, and earn a fixed percentage on it. Nowadays, we spend money on advertisement instead, because it's much more efficient at recruiting clients than quality in a competitive market.
After Goliath's defeat, giants ceased to command respect. - Freeman Dyson