As Dan Geer warned[1], technology changed the balance of powers when the cost tends towards zero: The central dynamic internal to government is, and always

As Dan Geer warned[1], technology changed the balance of powers when the cost tends towards zero: The central dynamic internal to government is, and always has been, that the only way for either the Executive or the Legislature to control the many sub-units of government is by way of how much money they can hand out. ... Suppose, however, that surveillance becomes too cheap to meter, that is to say too cheap to limit through budgetary processes. Does that lessen the power of the Legislature more, or the power of the Executive more? I think that ever-cheaper surveillance substantially changes the balance of power in favor of the Executive and away from the Legislature. While President Obama was referring to something else when he said "I've Got A Pen And I've Got A Phone," he was speaking to exactly this idea -- things that need no appropriations are outside the system of checks and balances. The "power of the purse" doesn't mean much when technology drives prices towards zero. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT-TGvYOBpI#t=625 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT-TGvYOBpI#t=625 http://geer.tinho.net/geer.blackhat.6viii14.txt http://geer.tinho.net/geer.blackhat.6viii14.txt