Every time this happens, the same people magically transform from saying “What, are you paranoid?” to “What, are you naive?”

The NSA’s surveillance dragnet is a very different situation because they are a government agency, but you could see the same exact phenomenon happened when the Snowden revelations came out.

“Do you really think the government cares enough to log all your phone calls? You must be paranoid.” became “Well, obviously the government does this. How could you not expect this?” in the blink of an eye.

> Every time this happens,

I love these comments, you seem them all the time (Everytime this happens if you will). And they are phrased as though they are above questioning.

I think both reactions are for psychological comfort. It is that it's comforting if someone else is in charge, in control in the face of chaos, and it's comforting to place trust in those above you and thus happily mock conspiracy theories.

Ehh. I am using the term paranioa a bit loosely. Post-snowden, it really wasn't very far fetched at all. But still upsetting.

Any reliable source of your allegation that all phonecalls in USA are being recorded? As far as I know such dragnet is allowed only outside of USA.