Without the anonymity that comes with the internet, would people be willing to answer these questions...?

If any VPN was about to be sued, they would go back into their logs and show who it was (what home IP/customer) was using that link at that time. The people suing then go after the actual downloader. VPN/Proxy may disguise your home based IP, but that does not mean you are un-trackable if the law wants to come after you.

However, using a VPN in another country may make it harder for the law to get the information.

If the only purpose for a proxy server was to download torrents, then you are right that they might find themselves sued. But that is usually a very small amount of their traffic. Much of it is business related where the user has to have secure (anonymity is unimportant) connection to prevent data theft.

Because there is no way to separate those using a legal (and needed) services and those using that same service for illegal purposes, the industry would have a difficult time proving that proxy was knowing participation in the crime. Oh...and they have tried to shut down proxy servers before. Just because they serve a legitimate purpose, they are rarely successful.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.