@apolymask has written some posts about democide. It's really disappointing that those who want to strip their own rights to defend themselves are so naively ignorant of history. When power disparities exist, the powerful eat the weak. Governments, even ones that began as benevolent, inevitably begin on the slippery slope towards oppressing the people they claim to serve. As the oppression increases, the people making up the governmental bodies are quite aware that their actions create enemies. And at that point the paranoia of losing power, or outright death, dumps gasoline on the oppression fire.