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Intelligence Squared hosted a debate last night on the following proposition: Spy on me, I'd rather be safe.

The proposition up for debate was faulty because NSA's surveillance programs have not been shown to promote public safety. Nonetheless, the pro-privacy side won out. 

Arguing for the motion were two former Bush administration officials, Stewart Baker and Richard Falkenrath. Arguing against was ACLU senior policy counsel and former FBI agent Mike German, and Georgetown law professor David Cole.

The audience was polled before and after the debate. The results, posted below, show that privacy is popular, both before and after people hear details about it!

Check out the debate if you want to arm yourself with solid (and winning!) arguments about why dragnet spying doesn't help us, it hurts us.