[mozumder]

Too many tech-nerds incorrectly extrapolates the future from false premises. If the tech-nerds had any social skills, they would know that society has built-in safeguards to prevent government abuse.

Tech-nerds: the world doesn't operate under "theory". There are social rules that you are ignoring that completely invalidates your fears of government. Did the Snowden revelations lead to thousands of US citizen murdered by government? No? Not even one, in the realm of statistical noise? No? Why do you think that is?

The US was a country that had could have ruled over the world between 1945-1949, and yet, we chose not to do that.

Tech-nerds are going to have to reformulate their horrible anti-government rhetoric to account for these social effects.

Learn how people actually live, not how people theoretically might live.

[icebraining]

Why do you think that the lack of murders by the government after the Snowden revelations indicate that the fears are unfounded? I don't think you actually understand what you're trying to debunk.

[ksdale]

You seem to be ignoring the tens of millions of people who actually died and countless more who were actually oppressed at the hands of governments in the last century.

[bitserf]

Let me know how those safeguards work for you if you're black. Or any other at risk group in any country really. Come on now.

[DougN7]

You need to seriously read some history. Read about how Hitler went from nobody to killing millions of jews. It was a process. Same with Stalin. We've been down this road before - it doesn't end well.

[simoncion]

> There are social rules that you are ignoring...

That right there is the problem.

Government actors -people in positions of power- are known to ignore rules -social and legal- to further their own agenda. From NSA analysts listening to other people's phone sex for personal titillation, to a sitting President who orders the harassment of disfavored groups, then orders some guys to break, enter, and destroy records to cover it up, there are people in positions of power who will do Bad Things that are very much violations of applicable rules, social or otherwise.

[merpnderp]

Parrellal reconstruction. IRS harassment of politically undesirable groups. More laws than anyone could read or understand capriciously enforced often based on political tribalism.

Then and FBI lawsuit to force apple to unlock a phone the FBI could trivially unlock.

I mean why wouldn't "tech-nerds" being falling over themselves to submit and comply?

[TrevorJ]

All I hear is Ad-Hominem rhetoric. You aren't actually making a real argument here.