DOJ Admits Aaron's Prosecution Was Political
The government is chosen through a political process and so everything it does is political.<p>The DOJ's actions were heavy-handed in a way that has freaked out a lot of people who evidently never realized that the government was like this.<p>Anyone who has ever gotten a letter from the IRS or has been pulled over by a surly police officer knows well that even though there are laws which apply to everyone fairly, the way those laws are enforced is mostly left up to the discretion of whoever is enforcing them.<p>Try being an immigrant and dealing with INS officers or a traveler dealing with TSA.  Our government has created all kinds of thugs whose job it is to put on a big show of force to intimidate people.<p>Why are government buildings so big and grand?  To create a show of force and make our government seem formidable.   Why are there so many ceremonies involving soldiers, government officials, marching, etc.  Simply to put on a show and create the impression of solemnity, gravity, and importance.<p>Governments must continually act to keep the power they have achieved.  They do this mostly through propaganda and PR efforts.  Every white gloved soldier in a ceremony is a PR stunt.  Every wood paneled room, dramatic monument, motorcade, marble building, podium, flag and seal are part of the PR show.<p>The world is full of greedy people who seek power over others.  Whether it's an ambitious Carmen Ortiz or an up-and-coming young congressman or a mild mannered traffic cop.  Each seeks to control others as a <i>very</i> significant portion of his/her motivation and life's goal.<p>Most people who do startups just want to build something and work with interesting technology and so we often forget just what government is.  We must wake up and realize that it's about control and force, and now and then the victim of this control and excess is a fellow hacker and we start to take it seriously for a few minutes before we forget about it again.  Don't assume that you won't be the target, don't adopt that conservative worldview.