Although a report by the congressionally mandated Commission on the
Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Proliferation, and
Terrorism concluded that biological or nuclear weapons were very
likely to be unleashed in the years soon after 2001, what Americans
actually have experienced are relatively low-tech threats. Yet even
under a new administration, extraordinary domestic and
international policies enacted by the U.S. government in the wake
of 9/11 remain unchanged. Political scientist and former FBI
consultant Michael Barkun argues that a nonrational, emotion-driven
obsession with dangers that cannot be seen has played and continues
to play an underrecognized role in sustaining the climate of fear
that drives the U.S. "war on terror."
Barkun identifies a gap between the realities of
terrorism--"violence without a return address--and the everyday
discourse about it among government officials and the general
public. Demonstrating that U.S. homeland security policy reflects
significant nonrational thinking, Barkun offers new recommendations
for effective--and rational--policymaking.