At the risk of sounding like Noam Chomsky in the midst of a self-loathing binge of anti-Americanism, lately I've been growing much more wary of the United States government than I have of any terrorist anywhere in the world. I'm no al Qaeda sympathizer or Area-51 conspiracy theorist, and I certainly don't put Osama bin Laden and George W. Bush on the same moral peg. But when I ask myself the question of who has more control over my life and who is more likely to do me actual harm, I can't avoid concluding that it's Uncle Sam over Osama by a long shot.
The fear of terrorist attacks among American citizens has been understandably elevated over the last 14 months. As a consequence, lawmakers have enjoyed widespread popular support for new legislation granting the federal government broad new powers to monitor domestic activity for potential terrorist threats. Ironically, though, this potential strengthening of the federal government poses a much greater threat to the American way of life than bin Laden's operatives could ever dream.
For all the media hype that surrounds al Qaeda and for all the tragic civilian deaths that terrorists can cause, terrorism itself has relatively little ability to do any direct harm to the vast majority of American citizens or to threaten the liberty and prosperity that define our nation. Although we should hunt these terrorists aggressively and kill them when we find them, we must be careful not to respond rashly to the degree of threat that they pose. If we grant our government broad and enduring powers to protect us from the relatively small threat that terrorists pose now, these same broad powers may just as easily be used to oppress us in the future.
In recent months, the current administration has shown an increasing willingness to drastically increase the government's domestic surveillance capabilities and sacrifice the civil liberties of American citizens in the name of Homeland Security. As an example, a new proposal from the Pentagon calls for the creation of what government officials proudly advertise as the Total Information Awareness system. This Orwellian-sounding integrated computer system would collect and process billions of emails, credit card data, travel information, banking transactions and other traces of electronic intelligence from private American citizens without their knowledge and without a search warrant (www.darpa.mil/iao/TIASystems.htm). If this sounds illegal, it is -- as of right now. New legislation, like the pending Homeland Security Act, seeks to accommodate new invasive technology by loosening domestic spying restrictions.
There can be no doubt that the extensive new powers that the administration seeks to grant to government agencies is motivated by nothing but the noblest of intentions. President Bush clearly wants to protect American lives from terrorists and he trusts that all American government employees share his purely patriotic ideals. But, to paraphrase James Madison, if all men were angels no government would be necessary in the first place. History teaches that excessive power cannot be trusted to the government without tyranny eventually prevailing.
Delusional mullahs who sit around in caves in Afghanistan and fantasize about a virgin-packed afterlife have no real power to do significant harm to us or our nation. A thousand hijacked planes and a hundred demolished skyscrapers would seem insignificant if we allowed our liberty to slip away. Our freedom is ours to have and to hold, and the only way we can lose it is if we sacrifice it ourselves in order to assuage our overblown fears of evil men. As Benjamin Franklin wrote, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." I hope that we will prove deserving, and that Americans still respect their freedom enough not to sell it to lawmakers for such a pittance as a little peace of mind.
(Anthony Dick is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. He can be reached at adick@cavalierdaily.com.)
Read More
PARTING SHOT: When it comes to art, it pays to pay attention
By Delaney Hammond | YesterdayEven among people who value the arts, carving out space for critical engagement with — rather than just passive consumption of — art has been an endeavor I have treasured.
PARTING SHOT: You only get what you give
By Delores Cyrus | 2 days agoThe people at this place have taught me that letting others in, while not always easy, is always worth it.
PARTING SHOT: Life lessons
By Miriella Jiffar | 2 days agoThroughout my time on the Life Desk, I’ve wondered what breathes life into this University.
