"What we should focus on is whether a government should be allowed to operate in secrecy, without any public oversight or knowledge, and whether the government can be morally justified in surveilling citizens without probable cause."
Actually, it is the problem for precisely that reason. What it boils down to is the Rule of Law. If the people at the top can do anything they want and never face any sort of prosecution, it not only sets precedent for the rest of the big wigs to act the same way (banking crisis anyone?) but it also reveals the farce in a more public way than has been true in the past.
The rule of law has never been perfect, and certainly so in America, but I feel like before the internet only the most egregious violations came to light, whereas now the farcical nature of the system is being revealed across the board. When there is an undermining of the rule of law, people will begin to completely disrespect it, and society will actually become more lawless (in the sense that people break laws willingly).
This is beyond the three felonies a day rhetoric. I think the inner city is a perfect microcosm of this.
Clapper lied to congress bluntly. He should be facing prosecution. Why isn't he? Because DOJ or whatever DA doesn't have the balls. Why don't they have the balls? Good ol boy system? Corruption? Blackmail? (you know NSA has the dirt on the entire SCOTUS and DOJ) Take your pick, the point is that the branches of government are compromised. (including the fourth estate).
If you want things to change, the very first thing that we need to do is prosecute and jail those who are undermining the Constitution and doing so in blatantly illegal ways.
Without justice there can be no peace.