[jotaass]

That's exactly the environment in my country in the 40's to mid 70's. You were obliged to inform the state of suspicious activities of your fellow citizens (things like reading the wrong sort of books or indulging in private gatherings) and were promptly compensated when you did so, whether you were being truthful or just really didn't like your neighbor. The infamous PIDE (secret police) is considered one of the most effective police forces in history, partially because of these sorts of tactics and how they managed to creep their way into every aspect of society. This is not something I'm proud to be associated with our history.

Of course that was dictatorship era Portugal. More than 40 years ago. I wasn't even born. But things have a way to come around again, one way or another, when we let ourselves get too comfortable and forget history or just trust too much on the competence of others.