Scaring Ourselves

Homeland: Already Secure?--Wondering why we've been largely terror-free since 9/11 by Brian Doherty:

...the entire Homeland Security apparatus may be more about scaring ourselves and wasting our collective energy than providing a vital national service. Mueller points out that, given its rarity and comparative lack of real impact in America (yes, even after factoring in 9/11), perhaps Americans are overly fearful and aiming too many resources at trying to stave off a terror menace that might not even be out there.

As Bart Kosko noted in a Los Angeles Times op-ed back in September, in contradiction to the argument that diligent federal efforts have kept us safe since 9/11, "the comparative absence of terrorism could just as easily (and I believe more reasonably) support the very different conclusion that we have overestimated—grossly overestimated—the terrorist threat. We may be winning a war against terrorism simply because there are few terrorists out there posing a serious threat to the U.S." (See the New York article for more insights on the obvious difficulties of finding willing suicide terrorists.)

Mueller lays out the comparative risks of air terror in the 9/11 manner and driving, noting that we'd need a set of 9/11-level tragedies each month for the risks of flying to become the same as those of driving. He points out that even the superterror weapons we were frightened about with regard to Iraq—chemical and biological ones—have never proven to be very effective killers...

The opportunity costs of this fight, in resources, energy, and know-how—and in our civil rights—are enormous.

Something similar here.