I just find it absolutely mind-blowing what Americans can be convinced to believe in.

So they are spied on, like some kind of modern day dissident DDR citizen under Stasi....
This is done completely out of proportion, without targetting people that are actually suspect, completely against the US constitution and illegally.
Somebody becomes aware of this, and decides to enlighten the public, via media (i.e. whistleblowing and freedom of the press, two concepts that America claims to be behind and loudly praises and critisizes countries not adhering...)
The guy, knowing that he'd face the same fate as Bradley Manning, understandably clears out of the country to avoid torture, life in prison or execution (which the Manning case proves is a very realistic risk).

And somehow propaganda media in the USA can turn the whole situation around, into making people believe Snowden is a BAD guy, that spying on regular people for no reason is right, and Russia is somehow guilty despite never even inviting Snowden to come (he went there completely on his own initiative).

The double standard is mindblowing. I repeat what I said elsewhere: Apart from Goebbels, nobody comes close to the propaganda effect of mainstream US media and few other populations are as brainwashe.