Well, the Federative Republic of Brazil is a democratic republic, with elections for their president every four years, so that does imply the average Brazilian has a little bit of power that is foreign from the US perspective. (If you buy this whole democracy thing, you might think that's good!)

I wonder if a restoration to monarchies would encourage agencies of the crown to keep their spying to other royal and powerful persons, since then the average subject would indeed have no power.

Exactly!

Holy fark! its simply mind boggling that anyone can be ok with the level of spying we are seeing.

The thing is that they are simply too farking comfortable to see how bad this is.

I farking HATE the fact that there is an easy statement of " 'well, American Idol is on..' " -- and to see that it is true.

The war is on the minds of Man. There is and has been a centuries long war on your ability to discern.