Moreover, more and more of that persistent information is casual communication that historically would have been securely erased by the whispering winds of time. No judge can grant investigators a time machine to travel back and spy on thousands of conversations over the last 5 years to fish for evidence. But now they can have the next-best thing (and getting better).
I think the discussion will get more useful when we'll stop talking about them and instead will talk about us. In civilized countries, the government represents the people. Law-enforcing organisms are mandated by people. The question is not whether some stranger wants to be able to enforce the law: the problem is whether we want to be able to enforce the law.
[1] http://www.businessinsider.com/major-study-finds-that-the-us...
The same citizens complaining that the rich control our country are the same citizens who don't register to vote because their opinion doesn't matter. The person who screams the loudest is the person heard. And the voice of America takes a sad me me me view that their voice doesn't matter, thus the rich get the power.
I'm far from a Sanders supporter, but his way of running this campaign has given America their Voice back. Ban super PACS, and limit corporate contributions to the same dollar amount that you and I are limited to donating, $2700.
In pursuit of enforcing the law, we need to be vigilant in maintaining the rule of law, which has proved difficult over the last century, with dire consequences.