When they’re not telling us to fear everything, they’re telling us to fear nothing (except, of course, restrictions on GOP power).

Michael Chertoff neatly tells us life is good, keep on shoppin’, and keep on ignoring Bush’s escalating encroachments upon your freedom:

“We are safe, but we are safe because we continue to pay attention and we continue to add security measures.”

On what basis does he tell us that “we’re safe”? As Donald Rumsfeld once said, “Freedom’s untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.”

Are we safe because the administration has been so effective at winning hearts and minds the world over that no one would think of attacking an American?

This is just more Manichean thinking from the Bushies. Since there’s no such thing as ambiguity and uncertainty, if it’s not total fear, it must be total complacency. Or both, somehow — as long as there’s no subtlety or realism in that construction.