They're doing it because knowledge is power. And power in a dangerous world is necessary to keep us all safe.

We need to worry about keeping the government focused on protecting us from the right things, not destroying its ability to protect us.

> They're doing it because knowledge is power. And power in a dangerous world is necessary to keep us all safe.

But the world is safer than ever before. It isn't a dangerous world. It is the safest world we know of...

I think we are at least partially at fault here. We demand action everytime the is a tragedy but perhaps sometimes the best course of action is to stay the course with no change in plan. I don't know. I'm just making assumptions tbh.

It is safe relative to some lawless past, but crime still occurs. You as a law abiding citizen just don't come in contact with it very often. The people defending you and the nation from criminals do. Don't be naive in thinking that just because you can't see it, it isn't there.

I wouldn't call the 80's some lawless past under anything but the most strict definition of past, and we're much safer now than we were then.

The authorities are becoming more of a danger than any criminal as well. This is shown directly with assets stolen under civil forfeiture rules being greater than assets stolen by criminals in the US. Anecdotally, even in the bad neighborhoods I've lived in where I wouldn't go outside at night, the worst I would expect from a criminal is a mugging or beating. With cops I have to worry about that as well as being put in jail and possibly having my life ruined depending on what they decide to charge me with.

I don't really see the cops or FBI as defending me or anyone else from criminals. At this point they are just one group of criminals fighting other groups of criminals for dominance

You have a very misguided view then. Unless you're committing a crime or are associated with criminals you really don't have much of anything to fear

I mean, that's provably false with all of the innocent people who end up in jail or things like civil forfeiture which are used to take money from anyone. How about the people who get attacked by cops who no knock raid the wrong house?

Saying that cops only go after criminals and their associates is a view that can only exist in ignorance of the mountain of evidence showing the opposite