Why we can't have a real debate on NSA snooping

How can you argue over the facts when the facts are classified?

Congress is calling for a serious pow-wow, which will like take place behind closed doors.
(Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

"I welcome this debate and I think it's healthy for our democracy." That's what President Obama said on Friday, referring to revelations that the NSA had collected phone records from millions of Verizon customers and used a program called PRISM to analyze data sucked in from several American internet companies.

Of course, there is a debate over these NSA programs. It centers on broad arguments of privacy versus security, and has been played out mostly in the media. The specifics of the NSA's surveillance program are being parsed, but it's difficult, as they are part of a much bigger operation that largely remains a mystery.

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Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.