It shows. And I say that as someone who worked for them myself for many years. The knee-jerk, "government knows best" attitude you display infects the federal system.
Another way you can look at it is, it could be a way to SAVE your freedoms.
Can you elaborate? How are our freedoms "saved" by cataloging us in a national databank?
We're in a touchy situation - and I don't understand all the ramifications....But I would like to trust our leaders until proven otherwise.
The ramifications aren't that tough to envision, if you're honest about it. For staters, look into the history of the social security number. Are you really convinced that we'll just be asked to forgo our freedoms "for a little while", till things "get better"? Then all the agencies, politicians, beaurocrats, and (newly employed) federal workers will give up their national ID-related jobs?
I doubt there are few things the gov doesn't know about us.
Somehow I get the impression that's just fine and dandy with you. But again, given your lifelong stint with federal employement, I understand it. Scary, but incredibly commonplace.