Dan Geer at his important talk at Black Hat:<p><pre><code>    The central dynamic internal to government is, and always
    has been, that the only way for either the Executive or the Legislature
    to control the many sub-units of government is by way of how much
    money they can hand out. [...]

    Suppose, however, that surveillance becomes too cheap to meter,
    that is to say too cheap to limit through budgetary processes.  Does
    that lessen the power of the Legislature more, or the power of the
    Executive more?  I think that ever-cheaper surveillance substantially
    changes the balance of power in favor of the Executive and away
    from the Legislature.  While President Obama was referring to
    something else when he said &quot;I&#x27;ve Got A Pen And I&#x27;ve Got A Phone,&quot;
    he was speaking to exactly this idea -- things that need no
    appropriations are outside the system of checks and balances. 

</code></pre>
<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=nT-TGvYOBpI#t=642" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=nT-TGvYOBpI#t=642</a><p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;geer.tinho.net&#x2F;geer.blackhat.6viii14.txt" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;geer.tinho.net&#x2F;geer.blackhat.6viii14.txt</a><p>While Congress has been occupied with infighting and stupid political theater, the Executive branch has been taking a lot of their power.<p>Is it &quot;making war&quot; when Congress is clearly abdicating their responsibilities? It has certainly done more damage to the country than any army has ever accomplished.