You wrote:
"I am pretty much resigned to the fate that seems destined for us - decline, despotism and destruction. I'll whine about it, but I can't seem to get too worked up about what seems to be fait accompli."
There is a much better answer than giving up our freedoms.
Go on the offensive; EXTERNAL to the U.S.
Make the terrorists, and those who aid, abet, comfort,
support, supply, and harbor them...
pay with their lives. No terrorists, no terrorism.
How? by attacking Christian Serbs to aid albanian muslim scum? By attacking & destroying a weak, stable, secular Iraq? Permanent military occupation of a country (afghanistan) where we defeated the terrorists years ago? Criticizing the evil Russians for opressing poor chechnian freedom fighters? Kissing saudia arabian ass?
Make the terrorists, and those who aid, abet, comfort, support, supply, and harbor them... pay with their lives. No terrorists, no terrorism.
Face facts... almost every single person who took an active role in the trade center attack died in the attack! Add up every single muslim who has participated in or actively supported an attack on American targets (pre-9/11) & what do you have? A couple of dozen? A couple of hundred? The attack on Iraq has created millions of sworn enemies who would gladly cut your throat or blow up your child just for being American.
The "war on terror" ain't about terror. The "war on drugs" ain't about drugs. The "war on poverty" wasn't about poverty. It's all about growing gov't and concentrating power in the hands of ruthless, greedy, evil people who we've allowed to take over our nation.
Kill every muslim on the planet today & tomorrow the gov't declares "we have to sacrifice our liberty, treasure & lives to win the war on [fill in the blank]"... it's for the chillldren!
It's really a war on liberty. A war on limited, constitutional government. A war on me. A war on you!