I definitely agree that technology has vastly amplified an individuals power over many years ago, but there is an aspect to this that many ignore. You can try all you like to suppress the desires and actions of an individual in a society, but inevitably, especially if there is a forward progression of intelligence and strength, the bell curve dictates that there will be an individual powerful/lucky/intelligent enough to break down barriers and restraints that they feel are inherently and intrinsically unjust. When that person comes along, do you want them to be angered by the constant attempts to restrain them? When they finally figure out how to supercede the system, you would probably rather that they are benevolent to it and those who supported it (i.e. most people either through their lack of resistance to it or their actual perpetuation of it) than angry at the constant and eventually futile attempts to stop them.

I think that, to a large degree, this is the reason for the sudden popularity of the fantasy genre. It usually deals with a hero/heroin who is in some way different from their society. Usually events put them in a position to either exercise their power freely or use it reform a corrupt and inefficient society. I would imagine that many individuals frustrated by society and its constant and frankly pointless attempts to make everyone "safe" through suppression and conformity, would relate to or admire the modern fantasy hero.

Especially if you live in the United States, it comes down to this: the country was founded on a frontier spirit. The egalitarian spirit that all members of society are brothers and the lack of restrictions (obviously there are some deviations that im sure others will bring up such as slavery, but for the most part that is irrelevant to this point) on everyday activities bred an amazingly productive and powerful society. Attempting to decide what activities it is "acceptable" for a citizen of the United States to participate stands contrary to the very foundation of this country and is, in the end, quite useless.

There is always a way to get around restrictions, and the more powerful the restrictions, the longer it will take, but the more violent and destructive the final overthrow of said restrictions will be. Whatever man has made, no matter how wondrous, how powerful, can be undone by man. Suppression is not the answer, it will only hamper us in the present and destroy us in the future.

To some extent this is what makes Libertarianism so popular among nerds. Nerds (or perhaps a more flattering term?) are to a large degree far more talented at a certain aspect of society and human knowledge than the vast majority of the population (this sounds elitist but come on, its true) yet they are governed and regulated by people who understand far less about their expertise and this frustrates them. Not only that, many of them have the possibility of attaining great wealth (or at least living comfortably) yet they face the prospect of giving large portions of that future wealth to the same people who frustrate them through their pointless or misguided regulations. Im sure this applies to many more categories than just "nerds". As something of a "nerd" myself, I am familiar with the "nerd" predicament, but im sure every stereotype has similar feelings. It is time my friends that we stop thinking we know how to live other people's lives better than they do. Even seemingly uneducated and unintelligent people can have brilliant commonsense ideas, and it is not our responsibility (nor is it even permissable) to presume that we should regulate their lives or anyone elses for that matter) for their own good.