>If you face an enemy who is determined to break any law or ethical principle to kill as many civilians as possible, what do you do to stop it?
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>This is a question, not sarcasm.
A totalitarian police state wouldn't be 100% safe, but it would certainly make you much safer from the terrorists. Of course you need to weigh up the pros and cons. You would then have to accept the risk of being carted off in the middle of the night by an unaccountable secret police and never heard from again.
Depending on how thorough the secret police were, whether they were willing to go the extra mile and eliminate everyone who might conceivably be a terrorist, that would make you *much* safer from terrorists.
This might be cold comfort to the thousands of people being dragged to the edge of an open pit and shot of course. Fortunately your government hasn't gone that far yet (as far as we know) they have only imprisoned a few thousand people without trial. But even if you escape such a fate directly, I can't imagine life would be worth living in such a society. But you still have time to escape the country.
I strongly advise it. One unscrupulous enemy is bad enough, but you seem to have two enemies determined to break any law or ethical principle. The US government is probably the more dangerous foe in the longer term. But even if it weren't, two enemies are worse than one.
In summary, if you are willing to submit meekly to your government abandoning the rule of law and instituting a police state (which seems to be the popular sentiment) - how would you propose to stop them becoming an even bigger menace than Osama? Your government after all is a whole lot better funded and equipped than some deranged nutcase hiding in a cave somewhere in Asia. What's more, at least government security forces operating under the law stand between you and the terrorists. They are a bit inept and a few might slip through, legal methods aren't perfect.
But the rule of law is the *only* thing standing between you and the excesses of an unaccountable security service. Or worse, an *inept* and unaccountable security service, Osama would be the least of your problems. But no worse than you deserve for such a selfish and cowardly choice.
This is an answer, not sarcasm.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas