> I don't understand how we've gotten here, or why people aren't more concerned. Iterated "Well, sure, the other team's guy is going to abuse the hell out of t

> I don't understand how we've gotten here, or why people aren't more concerned. Iterated "Well, sure, the other team's guy is going to abuse the hell out of that power, but my team's guy will only use it to do the best, most right, wonderful things ever!" dilemma. Executive Orders, among others. Can't do it legally? Issue an EO and by the time it winds out being illegal through the courts, you've gotten most of what you wanted anyway. Among other games played. D & R tend to fight tooth and nail for the 24/7 media ecosystem, but if you ask them, "Hey, could you use more data on what those little peons you rule over are doing in order to fight Bad Things?" - they both agree fully. And, even better, there are lots of tech companies (looks around the current place...) who have outdone each other to excel at "doing the bidding of the current government, or what they think the current government might like them to do," in exchange for the expected favors. And... and yet. People still manage to do Bad Things. People still manage to fund Bad Causes (honk). If only they had a little bit more. If only people couldn't still exchange value with mostly untraceable methods (I assume, for no reason beyond "It's technically possible and someone probably thought it could be useful to someone," that the serial #s on bills handed out from the ATM are tracked - especially to the sort of people who ask for $100s - though bank tellers don't obviously log them unless the ordering of them is logged on drawer insertion). All this is why I'm happy to offer "Metal, cash, computer hardware, or digital - in that order!" when I owe someone locally money.