Remind me again what currency was used on the Silk Road for purchasing illicit goods and services. And how many of those vendors were prosecuted by the US gov?

It is silly if by "escape government control" one means avoiding taxes, buying illegal substances, etc.

But if by "escape government control" one means a currency that the government cannot interfere with to censor/stop transactions, or a currency that cannot be debased on the government's whim, the public ledger is exactly why bitcoin can do what it does.

Monero will hopefully make it hard enough that governments can't discover the information without significant effort. They'll probably still be able to target specific individuals but perhaps we can stop dragnet surveillance of everyone.

You take what affordances are offered when there's no hope in the future.