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my government is a greater threat to my life and liberty than any terrorist. I fear the phony cops at the airport in their little phony cop costumes checking my liquid carry-ons way more than I fear that some asshole might concoct some comic book explosive in the economy class bathroom. Why? Because it is far more likely that I'll be carted off to blackholeistan to be tortured to death for no reason whatsoever than it is I'll be blown out of the sky for no reason whatsoever. Or my wife. Or my kids. A candidate for president (purportedly some kind of constitutional expert) who votes himself the power to spy on and imprison me for no discernible reason (e.g. OS's FISA vote) is a real and actual danger. This person is a threat. OBL and his cohorts may be a threat. The founders of the country understood this absolutely critical distinction, and created every obstacle they could think of to neutralize that potential threat. It's a pity and a shame that we've lost that ability. Instead (before Bush) we've steadily chipped away at those obstacles, and then in the past 8 years more like jack-hammered away at them. All for the sake of some fantasy of "security." This is the place we come to.
