in the US, the government (through its various three-letter tentacles) uses Cisco gear (and all other backbone equipment, really) to run universal surveillance on the populace (they monitor all means of communication, not just the internet), and harass political dissidents.

it's really a matter of degree rather than substance.

I think it's a little silly to criticize the manufacturers of very broad purpose products because someone, somewhere is using their product IN PART to do something you find distasteful.

You might as well get mad at the manufacturer of shoes for the US Army on the basis of incidents in military prisons.