I wouldn't, personally, characterize those comments as "discussing" how the NSA is doing those things, so much as their authors throwing up their hands, and being all, "WELP!" about that behavior. "Nothing can be done! They're EEEEEVIL! If you think otherwise, then you're dumb too."
What kind of discussion is a comment like that likely to engender? Generally not very substantive, in my experience, and I've been (IMO rightly) asked by the moderators not to engage in that style of shallow discourse, despite one of my comments to that effect being among my highest-voted ever.
Popularity and/or accuracy don't entail depth, and there's a pretty clear bias on HN towards encouraging the latter.
I didn’t bother looking at the comments but in this modern age, people may be confused by fake accounts and where the purpose is confusing popular opinion. Fake accounts without people contributing thought but some algorithms faking discussion with swaying to a direction of support.
Used to be cryptotechs in the navy listening to foreign countries had to destroy media if they accidentally recored a US citizen
Also used to be the majority of nerds were really against this sort of invasive illegal intrusions
Now the NSA intentionally spies on citizens and the nerds are supporting them.
How far the NSA and the nerd herd have fallen... its really disappointing