I'm thrilled at the success in putting some child abusers behind bars. ...but we have to remember that these stories are the result of press releases and activ

I'm thrilled at the success in putting some child abusers behind bars. ...but we have to remember that these stories are the result of press releases and active press management by law enforcement, as part of a two pronged strategy to (a) build popular trust for law enforcement (b) increase the willingness of the public to hand law enforcement new technological tools. The same technology that helps authorities pull a name off a pill bottle to capture an evil man can also help authorities pull a name off a pill bottle to capture a recreational drug user (and make his children grow to adulthood without a father) or - in some countries, or in our own in the future - capture a thought criminal who shows insufficient deference to the police state. The criminal justice system, financed by our tax dollars, dedicates huge amounts of money and labor to presenting their case for expanded powers to the public. As someone once said (I think I read this on a blog somewhere): when the authorities spend this much time convincing us about the right way to understand an issue, the actual levers of power pass through the voters, and go back to the government.