Oh, people are still making this comment on HN? The whole "the only answer is politics" thing sort of lost its luster when absolutely nothing happened politically over one and a half years since Snowden. One could argue the NSA has only been solidified by the political system.
It is odd how, with all the "shocking" revelations, nothing has effectively changed. It's like Snowden did the NSA a favor - exposing their secrets and so now they can act exactly the same but not in secret. Like a husband caught in an affair, and the wife doesn't care. Makes the NSA's lives a lot easier not having to lie about what that locked room is for at AT&T.
So good luck with that approach.