Domestic Spying For What Cause?

Domestic spying has not helped to thwart domestic terror attacks.  The Washington Times reports on police state lying:

“There is no evidence that [bulk] phone records collection helped to thwart dozens or even several terrorist plots,” Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat and committee chairman, told Gen. Alexander
...

Mr. Leahy, who has been a chief critic of the NSA, asked Gen. Alexander to admit that only 13 of the 54 cases had any connection at all to the U.S., “Would you agree with that, yes or no?”
“Yes,” Gen. Alexander replied in a departure from normal practice.

The spokesperson for the big-brother security state lied about the number of foiled terrorist attacks.  Is he also lying about the 13 cases?

Gen. Alexander also acknowledged that only one or perhaps two of even those 13 cases had been foiled with help from the NSA’s vast phone records database.

Yes, he did lie.  "Perhaps" one or two.  Or perhaps zero.


Why is the USA's secret police state spying on us?  Are they looking to blackmail potential political candidates?  Are they looking for unclaimed taxes?  In the name of homeland security, we have turned ourselves into 1950s east Germany - we spy on ourselves.