" Not a lot of people were surprised at the basic fact that U.S. agents were spying on Russia.

That's what countries do.

"

Is that to imply it's OK because other countries are doing it?

That sounds a heck of a lot like Lance Armstrong's defense of "everyone else was doing it..."

I think it implies that that is what countries must do to exist. Do you disagree with the assertion that intelligence gathering on other nation is key to self-preservation in geopolitics? Are you really implying that US, or any country, should just take what the other country is telling them, at face value?

Yeah, I agree that NSA should not be spying on US citizens. But Snowden did, very unfortunately, lose some credibility with anyone who isn't a naive pacifist, by saying NSA/CIA should not be spying on other countries.