The latest example is the misnamed “Freedom Act”, the purpose of which appears to be to make legal what was hitherto plainly illegal – inter alia whole-sale spying by the government on the citizenry. The legislation has been sold to the serfs as absolutely necessary to “prevent terror attacks”. As we have previously pointed out, the average US citizen is statistically far more likely to die from drowning in a bathtub or simply by falling from a chair rather than from a terror attack. No special laws have been proposed yet to save us from the evil of bathtubs and chairs, in spite of the danger evidently emanating from these deadly household furnishings.

Cartoon via Terrence Nowicki

Many people indeed begin to watch what they are saying once they are aware of being under constant surveillance. As we have previously argued, this undermines an important pillar of civilization.

Apart from the vanishingly small statistical likelihood of actually being harmed by terrorists, it is noteworthy that such laws – the true purpose of which is highly unlikely to be congruent with their stated purpose – are enacted even while the government engages in activities that are bound to worsen these statistics in the future. The so-called “war on terror” so far actually seems to be similarly successful as the “war on poverty” and the “war on drugs”. In fact, it appears to be ranking quite high on the list of the biggest government boondoggles. 

Since the “war on terror” started, terrorism has grown like never before. One should expect such outcomes to some extent, but this one is actually putting quite a few other failed government schemes to shame … via Washington Post, click to enlarge. 

To call a law the “Freedom Act” makes it sound as if freedom were something the government generously grants to its serfs. This is not so. Not surprisingly, upon closer inspection it looks like the new law hasn’t improved the previous state of affairs in the slightest. Instead it has probably made it even worse.

Just keeping in touch with the newly liberated citizens – now and forever.

Cartoon by Walt Handelsman

 Via http://www.acting-man.com