If we are willing to live in an authoritarian society with a government that can carefully watch anyone it deems a potential threat then we should be, in theory at least, safer from others causing us harm. However, in my mind this only trades one potential threat with another -- could our government then become the biggest threat to our well being?
My belief is that danger is all around us and we cannot avoid risk but we can manage it. This was my philosophy regarding racing motorcycles in my retirement. I assumed the risk but I invested in the training, gear and practice to minimize my risk. This leads me to the "article" from smithfam.com. While this is not about our national security, it is about something almost as important -- our careers. Allow me to quote the relevant sections:
There are basically two kinds of People
1. Those who are motivated by freedom.
2. Those who motivated by security.
One has the courage of self-direction; the other is driven by fear. People motivated by security normally hold regular jobs in order to know in advance that their basic needs for food, shelter, and health protection will be taken care of.
People motivated by freedom often have several irons in the fire. These people fail more often in their endeavors but in the long run they usually end up more successful. They are more successful, because they have more irons in the fire, something usually works out successfully.
I think this generally applies to views of society and I believe I'm one who is motivated more by freedom than fear. That is why I don't think I am persuaded by the appeal to national security by those representing the Repubican Party. Personally, I'm surprised how this issue has ultimately trumped the philosophy of a small, limited government and strong personal freedom which, I thought, was the foundation of the Republican platform.
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