That "rubber stamp" court at FISA was created in response to far worse breaches of power (and the law) by various LE agencies and NSA itself which were revealed in the late 1970s. The actions of an NSA trying to keep up with rapidly changing technology in a way that doesn't violate the law (even if only technically so) is a far cry from the abuses that led to the Church Committee.
So if this (like last time) is the low that we will improve from after the bright light of transparency was shined on the enterprise, then the U.S. will be in great shape.
I find this more than a little strained for a number of reasons.
1. Imagine the horror of a world where the USA looked more like Canada and slavery probably ended without the bloodiest war in North America's history.
2. British tyranny was light. At the time of the American Revolution the Crown's North American subjects were richer and less lightly taxed than its British ones.
3. Military and transportation technology have advanced radically since that time. No European power managed to subdue trans-Atlantic rebellions from established settler states. The US armed forces are designed for fighting two major wars at a time and have oceans to east and west and client states to north and south. They would have no problem subduing "terrorists" or "seditionists".
Uttering the words, "history is repeating itself," is meaningless without context. What part of history is repeating itself? Are you drawing analogies to post-WW1 Germany? The fall of the Roman Empire? Or to the abuses brought to light in the 70's as another commenter pointed out?
