Well, the numerical advantage is not always as dramatic as you presuppose: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi). Also, your a

Well, the numerical advantage is not always as dramatic as you presuppose: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi). Also, your assumption that the entire remainder of the populace is "on side" is possibly a little optimistic. All the state has to do is ensure sufficient apathy to whittle those odds down to something that (with it's organizational, technological and financial advantage) is comfortably one-sided (to the advantage of the state).