[gabrielrotbart]

This is a theory only and it relates to rdtsc (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6234271) reply which is inline with my own thoughts:

9/11 and the lack of civilian resistance to a lot of the government actions which followed has (IMHO) shown that they can push the envelope and encounter no outcry. 'They' have continued the push ever since.

I would love to be corrected on this, but I can't think of another modern era when so much obvious, unscrupulous actions were taken by authorities and yet no grand resistance was put up.