However, I don’t expect that it will always remain benevolent for so many of us. In time, more Americans will experience life in a police state.
Do you have any specific reason for believing this?
Yes. Institutions and operating procedures develop around these new technologies and resources. At first they serve the intended purpose, but over time they become increasingly bureaucratic and inflexible. In time the needs and actions of the society drifts away from the functional effect of these institutions, and well before these systems change, people must bend to their design. In the US, this is exacerbated by the influence of lobbying in the political process. You can see varying degrees of this in the US penal system (particularly its influence on drug and immigration law), in the military complex, in agriculture, and in copyright and patent law. In short, the system and the laws to support it no longer reflect a desired reality except for those that have political power in the sector. However, what’s most troubling about this new complex, is the nature of it. By design, this surveillance complex will have tools to protect itself that others do not. As an example, journalists have had a very difficult time challenging this surveillance, as they must first prove that they have been adversely affected by it. However, the information they require to prove it is secret and cannot be used in court.
Don't forget they develop a survival instinct and desire for self-preservation as they are ultimately staffed by humans who a) believe in the value of the job they are doing, and b) want to keep doing it for selfish monetary reasons even if they don't ideologically care that much.
The organizations themselves become experts at lobbying for their own existence and expansion. Even if the only reason is people still have a job to go to in the morning. That's really all it takes (this gave us the military industrial complex you alluded to). It's scary how true this is. If you thought the military-industrial complex was intractable, you've not seen anything yet...Yes. Institutions and operating procedures develop around these new technologies and resources. At first they serve the intended purpose, but over time they become increasingly bureaucratic and inflexible.
However, what’s most troubling about this new complex, is the nature of it. By design, this surveillance complex will have tools to protect itself that others do not.