I think it would have been a good idea, if successive German governments since Kohl had explained to the German people how things hang together instead of lying to the population in so many existentially important areas. The German people have been being lied to especially in a security context since before Kohl and increasingly during that Chancellor's reign.
In this specific context an American diplomat warned the German government that lying was not a good idea. But Merkel's people did. Now they have allowed the thing to escalate in a very destructive way, though the activities of NSA were totally in accordance with this and earlier governments approval. By not explaining this, the Merkel government has done the relationship with the US a vast disservice. That the Germans are a lose cannon has long been known and this here is just another demonstration of the danger of relying on them.
Various intelligence agencies (not just US, albeit of biggest effort) have been running eaves-dropping operations in Germany since the end of WWII. And in the FRG (then "the West") since its founding a few years later.
The German intelligence BND (originally Organisation Gehlen) was virtually founded, certainly funded, initially by the OSS and to a higher degree by the CIA later. Stipulation was that it report EVERYthing, so sarcasm always reigned in Germany in calling it just a branch of the former.
Cold war tactics of course but anyone with eyes to see would have noticed that the big "golf ball units" didn't get all that dismantled with unification and it doesn't take rocket science to realize that digital TV isn't coming to the German from them since then either.
But if one is not disposed to track back, cannot read, cannot hear and refuses to engage in original thinking, this whole sordid and hypocritical affair is a convenient opportunity to engage in indignant outrage, mostly for furthering of own political gain and by a virtually impotent opposition plus a constantly weakening coalition partner getting on the bus to garner some of the profile lost.
One notices UK's GCHQ being conspicuously left out of the current moral orgasm and this in an age where the European tapping point of trans-Atlantic fibres is as easily to come by as those numerous world wide points of the Five Eyes.
One can argue whether any of this is being done in ways proper or whether it's of any benefit to whoever at all, but any governmental representative of the nations concerned, including the poor "victims", would do everybody a favor in shutting their hypocritical gobs.
In both Germany and the UK intelligence agencies are broadly referred to as Secret Service, some even applying (confusing) the term to the US's version of actually that name. The key here is "secret" and anyone with half a brain knows why they're secret.
To those that don't, because they break the law, specifically of the country(ies) they operate in abroad and that's their job. Germany, thru its BND, does it as well.
All in the interest of their countries and screw you Jack, your laws are no concern of ours.
Without the US Germany wouldn't even have had an intelligence agency, riddled with old Nazis as it initially was and leaky as a tub as it also was by being equally riddled with Stasi moles.
But you're right, comes a time when the policy of the three apes no longer works and it's better to speak openly BEFORE the younger public finds out what the OLDER has always known or should have.