Ten things we've learnt about the surveillance state

The plea bargain -- admissions of guilt where defendants are under threat of death and lifetime prison sentences -- has prevented 95% Federal court cases from proceeding, and it inches higher year-over-year.

Enron's disgraced and final CEO has had his prison sentence reduced significantly under an agreement to stop the legal ballet of refuting prosecution and wilfully forfeiting $42M for distribution to Enron fraud victims, effectively buying his way out of prison. "Too big to jail" indeed.

The US Government, at the behest of AT&T, Verizon, et al, unilaterally denied Samsung's lawful and justified victory in a patent dispute with Apple. Lesson learned? Don't bother with a healthy and useful patent portfolio, and do stay in the good graces of the US Government for there are benefits to signing into PRISM-like programs.

You will not have a hard time finding pro-state shills that happily declare that the state can do no wrong -- indeed, the law simply doesn't apply to government employees acting in the "nation's best interest."