At first glance, you might assume the fact that the government has brought fewer cases of terrorism to court while expanding the number of people under surveillance suggests that the surrendering constitutional liberties in the name of questionable security gains isn't really worth it, but you'd be wrong.
You might also think that there's something of a victory for terrorists in our government abandoning any notion of personal liberty and privacy. But, no, Bush tells us, what this finding really says is that the Bush Administration has terrorism in its last throes, and that fewer cases despite more surveillance just means "we're winning," much the same way that increased violence in Iraq means the same thing. I'll sleep so much better now...
--A. Serwer
