The Washington Post is reporting today that the government in 2006 flagged roughly 20,000 people as suspected terrorists. It is a report that seems to confirm that the Administration’s new powers have allowed it to pursue thousands on the weakest of possible suspicions. Only a handful have been prosecuted and most of those have to minor or unhinged characters. The question remains the cost of this massive population of citizens under suspicion and a government system that seems to replicate itself — growing ever bigger while desperately trying to find suspects to justify its costs and personnel. This is not to say that we should be less vigilant. Rather, these figures show a hair-trigger mentality where citizens are thrown under investigation with little cause or remedy.

For the Post story, click here