All of this tightened security was brought in after TWA flight 800 blew up in mid-air over the Long Island Sound because of mechanical problems, all of the evidence seems to indicate. B ut politicians don't get elected by telling us that there's nothing they can do. A nd when they get started on finding things to do, politician can go whole hog. We need only look at a few of our close allies to see what can happen when supposedly free countries succumb to the temptations of the police state. Among other things, uncorroborated testimony from senior police officers is now accepted as evidence of membership in a terrorist organization and the right to remain silent has largely been abolished.
T here can be some good effects of anti-terrorism measures, though.
If nothing else, the last round of nasty legislation in the U.S. forced some traditionally squabbling groups to find common ground in defending what's left of American liberty. They lost, but at least they played nice. T here's another potentially good effect, too. If the boosters of anti-terrorism legislation keep getting their way, we'll soon have no reason to go dumping bombs on Baghdad. That's because the United States may soon be so much like Iraq that we won't have anything left to fight about.