I think it was the NSA who did a study and said in fact, the world is so connected now, that on average 3-4 *billion* have at most *3* degrees of separation in one form or another, which by itself is sufficient to use the powers of the state against anyone. This is about justifying using state level powers for *any reason at all*, with the russians as a pretext. The u.s. is a dictatorship, and congress and the pentagon are dictators.