>> "I'm fairly sure there are countries out there where citizens do not lie awake at night in fear of their government, and where such technologies might be responsibly deployed as a tool in law enforcement."

This was true of many countries where it's no longer the case. Once a technology is available to a benevolent government, it remains available once that benevolence ends. It's wise to do what can be done to prevent and hinder misuse before it's too late.