re: What's fascinating about the "Don't Trust Government" bit...
I think balance is important in any government, and that polarization is counter-productive.
But would you agree that high-ranking representatives of both major parties in the US have given citizens reason to doubt the purity of their motives in the past 50 years? One can argue about which party is the most guilty, but neither is lily-white.
I think there are a lot more "aware" consumers (citizens) than there were in the past, and they have a lot more venues for expressing their opinions. 50 years ago (or even 15) where could you have your say about "giving the government almost unlimited authority" and have it received by people around the world, especially in an immediately interactive way?