Once-sensible English libertarian Alice Bachini has moved to Texas. Sadly, she appears to have lost her sanity with the move (perhaps the immigration measures require it – “you are now arriving in Texas. Please dispose of any traces of sanity before you clear Customs”).

She says that the story of the anti-‘war-on-terror’ left is an ‘I’m alright, Jack’ one. If she was referring to solidarity with oppressed Arabic women and workers, she might have a point (not necessarily a correct one, but a point). But no – she believes that the antiwar left “long to hide in comfortable castles on money purloined from big businessfolk, while the big businessfolk get blown up as targets in the WTC or kidnapped and beheaded in the Middle East“.

Jesus Christ. So the reason I don’t think Islamic terrorism is worth suspending all (or indeed, any) of our hard-won civil liberties for is because the only people who will lose out are the CEOs and the investment bankers, and I think they deserve it?

I’m generally quite bad at telling the difference between genuine libertarians and satirists. But just because I feel like these things need to be said… the WTC was an amazingly unusual terrorist act; the people who get killed by terrorists are generally The Masses. The people who are getting kidnapped and beheaded in Iraq are contractors taking home $80-150K a year – maybe they’re getting double what they’d earn in the US or UK as a risk premium, but it’s hardly wealth beyond the dreams of avarice.

I object to increased security measures because I’d rather take the (still absolutely miniscule) risk that I or someone I love were exploded by crazed Islamists [1] than see the government abolish due process, clamp down on dissent, and generally make life worse for us. I’d rather be able to turn up for planes 30 minutes before they leave, and not have to get my shoes X-rayed [2].

And that’s got absolutely sod-all to do with CEOs and investment bankers.

[1] My chances of this are probably higher than average given that my dad’s currently working in Kuwait, but this isn’t the point.

[2] If an airline offered this and made me sign a waiver saying I wouldn’t sue them if I were blown up, I’d take it.