Most individuals who would even begin to consider trying to "cook up" substances like nerve gas or anthrax "in a garage" would undoubtedly die in the process, i

Most individuals who would even begin to consider trying to "cook up" substances like nerve gas or anthrax "in a garage" would undoubtedly die in the process, in which case problem solved. And yes, people should be able to build "surface to air missile launchers" in their garages. It's called amateur rocketry, and last I checked it was quite a popular (and legal) hobby. The vast majority of encryption is used in a lawful way to protect important things (information). The vast majority of firearms (in the USA at least) are used in a lawful way to protect, deter, as a hobby/for fun, and for sport/hunting. They are very similar arguments, for a number of reasons, including the utter stupidity of attempting to make law-abiding citizens jump through even MORE hoops whilst accomplishing absolutely nothing in "preventing the bad guys from making use of" said technologies.