US spy policy - the ugly American?

It's interesting to view the US through a European perspective.  The spy scandal has been front-page news in Germany since we arrived.  From here the US appears arrogant and indifferent to the rights and freedoms of anyone outside the US.  Democracy seems to be an illusion that the US only gives lip service to when US "national security" is involved.  The US appears to be a bully state that feels that it can with impunity violate the sovereignty and rights of any other country in the name of US security interests regardless of any treaty or alliance.  This spy scandal and the US response to the legitimate concerns of Germany and France have seriously undermined that respect that the average person has for the US. President Obama has also lost some of the enormous popularity that he has in both Germany and France. The US with it's spy policy and disregard for legitimate concerns for personal privacy has successfully resurrected the image of the "ugly American" in Germany and France.  The death of personal privacy appears to be the latest victim of the war on terror.  Unfortunately, the perpetuator of this "atrocity" is not AL-Qaede but the US.  Is this the cyber equivalency of jackboots kicking in the door at midnight?  Is the loss of personal freedom  and privacy an acceptable price to pay for "national security"?  Have we gotten so used to corporate intrusion into our cyber privacy that we no longer feel any indignation or personal violation when the government does the same thing?  Is this the "brave new world" of the future?