Morton A. Goldberg, DVM"What does it portend that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has purchased 2,700 armored vehicles? One may speculate all day long about what it might imply -- and such speculation, by the way, may be pursued by perfectly rational people without eve... more"What does it portend that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has purchased 2,700 armored vehicles? One may speculate all day long about what it might imply -- and such speculation, by the way, may be pursued by perfectly rational people without ever crossing the line into paranoia. However, I would like to offer one consideration that is not speculative at all, and relates to the very roots and legitimacy of government in a free society: when the disparity in strength between the state's domestic security apparatus and the collective civilian population becomes overwhelming, it undermines a fundamental principle of modern liberal government, namely the consent of the governed." less
