The truth likely lies between these two points of view on Security. On one hand I agree with Tommyhawk that LEO is likely to be ultimately compromised by A: the Numbers and B: their own Politics, but I also agree with kmfkewm in thinking that governments have also been known to take extreme measures without relationship to economy. Putting tracking dots on practically every single sheet of printed A4 is seriously, seriously over the top, yet it has already been done, and as far back as 2001 too. Because the Silk Road appears like such an anomaly, it will be the focus of much political capital and subject to disproportionate attack vectors that would probably impinge more on the freedoms of civilians than ourselves. We are effectively waiting for LEO to make the next move, fairly soon I would imagine our conjectures will become realized. It would not surprise me if secret Congress hearings are being held last year or this year. Wiser heads have probably told the senator to shut the fuck up, since more media attention will make the Silk Road mushroom in size (haha! Mushroom... I'm so funny). Surprisingly, I don't think the same has occurred in the UK since it is clear that a D notice has not yet been issued on the Silk Road if the BBC can explicitly mention it in their Five Live interviews. Possibly the British are either playing a different game, they are taking a lazare faire approach (as a devil's advocate I would argue this is the best policy for a nation state, i.e. containment rather than control, there is actually a place where LEO and the Silk Road's objectives meet in some ways e.g. the reduction of violence on the streets since less enforcers are required).