First of all, to be clear, I think that this phenomenon of mass surveillance is appalling. However when I read both your comment and the parent comment I felt something. What was it? - Bullied.They are bullying (even though your intention is to defend against the real material bullying of mass surveillance)
The truth is that although there may be spies here that's are also people who have opinions that are genuinely contrary to yours. You are calling those people "idiots", "dumb", and "NSA agents". This may discourage those people and particularly other people from commenting. I want to hear whatever people think based on their experience. I don't want group think. If we get enough comments like yours and they are upvoted strongly then plenty of people will just shut up because they can see that it will cost them.
You could have made your points as just as strongly without any of this.
Given the material in the Snowden files her post was accurate.
In light of HN practice of banning accounts that accuse people of shilling her post was actually quite brave. See any controversial discussion -- posts will disappear and accounts will be hell banned. In other words those that do the calling out have been and are genuinely punished. She did well to not to call individual accounts out and to keep things civil.
The truth is that although there may be spies here that's are also people who have opinions that are genuinely contrary to yours. You are calling those people "idiots", "dumb", and "NSA agents". This may discourage those people and particularly other people from commenting. I want to hear whatever people think based on their experience. I don't want group think. If we get enough comments like yours and they are upvoted strongly then plenty of people will just shut up because they can see that it will cost them.
You could have made your points as just as strongly without any of this.