> The question here is: do you place any trust in government?

The Snowden leaks have shown the NSA's system-wide abuse and sealed courtroom judgements allowing rampant abuse and overreach by the NSA where they're able to operate free from oversight where even most of Congress had no idea what they were doing.

> If not, then you really can't function in a normal society. Good luck building your own army.

This ridiculous conclusion tantamounts to we either have to trust the US Govt or we need to build a private army. We are already functioning in a society without the need of a private army. We also live in a time where we can protect our sensitive information from the US Govt with readily-available strong encryption. Do I trust the US Govt with my most sensitive information? No I don't. Do I need a private Army? No, no I don't.

Way too sweeping a question.

I can have trust in a government, but not in some of the individuals that make up that government. And I would want necessary protection from said individuals.

Enter: encryption.

Right, which is why we have judicial review of communications monitoring, since we don't trust the executive branch with that power alone.

> do you place any trust in government?

Trust but verify, for the record I don't place any trust in any part of government I and others can't audit in some way.

The entirety of the US system of government is predicated on lack of trust. Hence checks and balances through branches and the limits placed on the government by the constitution. The founders saw this coming. They didn't trust the government. Why should we?!

I don't know why you were downvoted. Your comment is spot on, let me just finish the sentence - "if you don't trust government, then you can't function in a society and therefore government eliminates you".