"but are they eavesdropping on every single conversation of entire nations?"
China is, almost certainly. They have legions of hackers, spies, and sniffers in a constant state of attack on almost every communications system in the industrialized world.
The only difference between our program and theirs is that theirs isn't (yet) as effective. But it'll get there. In the meantime, their authoritarian system controls for leaks more effectively than our government does. There are fewer would-be Edward Snowdens in China, and any that do exist are locked up in camps somewhere.
I'm not here to justify any of the charges you're (quite correctly) leveling against the US. But let's not be naive. Any of the things you mentioned we're doing -- surveillance, corporatism, internet protectionism, etc. -- China is doing, and Russia would do if it had the capability.
Nobody's hands are clean here. I think that's your main point, and to a large extent, I agree. But we shouldn't weaken that point by attempting to argue degrees of it. Especially when those degrees are largely a matter of technical capability, not ethical inclination. Any dirty deeds we're doing that Russia and China aren't, Russia and China can't yet do. They would if they could.
China is, almost certainly. They have legions of hackers, spies, and sniffers in a constant state of attack on almost every communications system in the industrialized world.
The only difference between our program and theirs is that theirs isn't (yet) as effective. But it'll get there. In the meantime, their authoritarian system controls for leaks more effectively than our government does. There are fewer would-be Edward Snowdens in China, and any that do exist are locked up in camps somewhere.
I'm not here to justify any of the charges you're (quite correctly) leveling against the US. But let's not be naive. Any of the things you mentioned we're doing -- surveillance, corporatism, internet protectionism, etc. -- China is doing, and Russia would do if it had the capability.
Nobody's hands are clean here. I think that's your main point, and to a large extent, I agree. But we shouldn't weaken that point by attempting to argue degrees of it. Especially when those degrees are largely a matter of technical capability, not ethical inclination. Any dirty deeds we're doing that Russia and China aren't, Russia and China can't yet do. They would if they could.