I'd rephrase the GP's point slightly: the modern states are mutating right now from a sort of giant "octopus" with a few blunt "tentacles" such as police and th

I'd rephrase the GP's point slightly: the modern states are mutating right now from a sort of giant "octopus" with a few blunt "tentacles" such as police and the military, into a giant "centipede" with millions of thin and far reaching tentacles. The old state had no capacity or ability to micromanage its subjects, e.g. if someone bought weed with cash, the state couldn't even see it, but the new state will try to micromanage and control everyone, because that's the very nature of the state.