Chapter 3 question 6 - Martha

"One sad irony of September 11 was the simple-minded view of government- that "taxpayers know better what to do with their money than government does"- was exposed for its hollowness.  Individual taxpayers cannot gather intelligence, track down a fugitive in the mountians of Afghanistan, do research on bioterrorism, or protect planes and airports."

It is sad that our government was so simple minded that thousands of people died as a result.  But it wasn't just the government's fault, taxpayers are also to blame. We were the people who convinced Congress not to get in our business, that they were violating our rights by spying on us. The reality however is that the government needs to watch us, because even though I'm doing the right thing doesn't mean everyone else is and their view of right and wrong may be completely different from mine. It is also impossible to be quiet if millions of people are traipsing through the mountains, not to mention the dangers there. Spying and tracking people are skills that are hard to come by and jobs that requir those skills are to high paying, and dangerous, that normal taxpayers couldn't afford to hire one for themselves.