"I am at a loss as to what this additional infrastructure really permits that having lots of armored men with guns does not. Armored men with guns are a flexibl

"I am at a loss as to what this additional infrastructure really permits that having lots of armored men with guns does not. Armored men with guns are a flexible bunch, they can do lots of things. The marginal distinction to the person in power between pressing a button and ordering other people to go shut the net down is pretty minimal" Very easy to understand: they don't have lots of men with guns the moment they ask these men to point to their family members, to their community, in a wrong way . People will not obey things that go against the law, because they are not drones, and oppose firmly unless the law itself makes them comply(no exit). If you have the force but not the authority law gives you, your force is briefly temporal. E.g It was essential for Hitler to get a law that gave it full powers, using the excuse of punishing the communist for Reichstag fire, fire that could had been caused by Nazi supporters.