No real reform of surveillance

And despite the changes Obama promised in his speech, there is likely to be little change in the overarching framework and substance of the US' domestic surveillance programs.

It is clear from Obama's speech, that how to avoid the abuse of power by NSA and other intelligence agencies in the designing and implementing of their eavesdropping programs, and how to regulate and evaluate the application of their need to know, have not been addressed.

Although most Americans support the nation's anti-terrorist war, there are many that question how that war is being conducted. However, given the public support for anti-terror efforts, Congress has been inclined to unconditionally support the NSA and there has been little attempt to rein in its power. The failure of the check-and-balance mechanism built into the US political system has resulted in a monster that will be difficult to control, even if the will to do so exists.

Not only do the NSA surveillance programs need major revamping, the entire US political system needs looking at. For a long time, the US political system has been unable to allow sensible debate so as to avoid making major mistakes. It is increasingly unable to respond to the domestic and international challenges the US is facing. On the one hand, the two sides have stark differences on budgetary and fiscal matters, which threaten not just the US economy but also the global economy. On the other hand, the US executive branch and congressional chambers attained, with ease, their mistaken consensus to launch a "preemptive" war against Iraq in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, which has undermined global security.

Their agreement on the necessity for eavesdropping reveals the US to be a hegemonic imperialist. As history has often indicated, the uncontrolled expansion of the US empire is hardly sustainable and its extending into cyberspace will incur widespread resistance. The double standards the US applies, including in the cybersphere, will invite reciprocation, which in turn will go against the US' intentions.

The author is professor and associate dean of the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University.