ABSTRACT
Curiosity about the other side did not figure in Bush's policies at home or abroad. Here was a real blind spot in homeland security. The administration gave no sign it considered any other way to buttress homeland security than to eavesdrop, inspect handbags, and build a wall against Mexico. Bush was slow to accept recommendations from Congress to establish a cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security. He relented, however, and the DHS was established in November 2002. Its job is to protect the territory of the United States from terrorist attacks and respond to natural disasters. Once the Department of Homeland Security was established, big brother could operate through the DHS as well as the Justice Department, the FBI, and other federal agencies. The sound and fury over homeland security led to conditions where Americans suffered the worst of both worlds: They became "less safe and less free".
