The Trouble With Normal...

In Britain yesterday, "police have arrested a dozen men accused of plotting a large-scale terror attack on targets inside the United Kingdom. The suspects, who ranged in age from 17 to 28, had been under surveillance for weeks and were believed to have links to Pakistan and Bangladesh, security officials said."

In Washington, "Metro Police are randomly inspecting bags at the Braddock Road and College Park Metro stations Tuesday."

Over the last few days, in an effort to get tough on terrorism (am I the only one who thinks that is an irony?), police have been rounding up the usual suspects to steal a phrase.

This is not the first time I have raised the issue of the erosion of the basic rights of the average American, but I am beginning to wonder if we are not seeing the erosion of basic human rights in the all encompassing desire to defeat terrorism.

I do not have enough history from the 1930s, but this society of fear is beginning to make me wonder who will come into power as the savior and free us from all this tyranny. The last guy to take on that mantle was very charismatic and had the solution to the problem. And the world plunged into war for more than five years trying to defeat him.