The NSA isn't at fault. They're simply brilliant mathematicians, scientists and engineers who are doing their job. It's the government that's made the mistake. So congress isn't excusing THEM, congress is excusing THEMSELVES. It's a fundamental difference that I feel a lot of people forget about.
But in all sincerity, we the people do genuinely possess the power to change things. We complain about congress being evil, yet the same people continue to get elected decade after decade? Yes, I recognize that once you HAVE power, it's easier to get re-elected because you already have the infrastructure and the connections in place. as opposed to a brand new guy running for the first time. But if Americans REALLY want change, they have to learn about the issues. Because Americans spend so much time complaining about our "corrupt government" but millions of people still don't vote, saying "my vote doesn't matter". Millions of people vote based on what the media tells them, without ever REALLY learning about the issues.
Probably the best example was the public healthcare ("Obama Care") fiasco. Something like 80% of Americans were in favor of the "Affordable care act" when it was properly explained to them. However when the same people were asked about "Obama Care" that number plummeted to around 57% (rough numbers). Even though theyre exactly the same thing. The media, and politicians gets to spin things however they want. And we complain about that, but seemingly no one does anything about it, because the issue is so much bigger than they are. Which leads to one of my favorite quotes, "no snow flake in an avalanche feels responsible".
We're the snowflakes, the only difference is is that we have the ability to fight against the avalanche (which a real world snow flake does not). But one snowflake can't do it. You need everyone to take an active interest. And the more people who don't vote, and the more people who don't sit down for just a FEW HOURS to learn about the candidates, the harder the problem becomes, and the more it just perpetuates.
On a side note, I'm not here to change anyone's minds about Obama Care or anything else. There is no "right answer" in government. But being opposed to something you know nothing about is seriously different than being opposed to something you've carefully studied. There's two sides to everything (at least 2), but you need to know what they are before you pick one.