Our nation is moving toward closing out the first year after the presidency of George W. Bush, yet it seems that many in Congress are stuck in the failed paradigms of that era. In particular, the politics of fear, represented in the politics of Homeland Security, seems to be stubbornly holding on, despite fading relevance in the real world.

Congressman Zack Space is among those politicians who just can’t seem to leave the days of the omnipresent Code Orange Alert behind.

Representative Space says on his official congressional web site that “Congress must be committed to doing everything possible to make sure that Americans are safe from the threat of terrorism”. Of course, doing everything possible is a difficult standard to satisfy. After all, part of doing everything possible to make sure Americans are safe from terrorism would be to station a special contingent of deputies at every airport gate, armed with a pistol, just in case. Part of doing everything possible would include strip searching all citizens on a weekly basis, just in case. Part of doing everything possible would include shredding the Constitution, and setting up a security state.

A security policy that starts with the goal of doing “everything possible” is impractical and dangerous. A better policy would attempt to create the greatest security possible without sacrificing our nation’s values and our way of life. Yet, such subtleties seem to have escaped Congressman Space, who seems to think he can promise the moon.

One aspect of Zack Space’s do-everything vision of Homeland Security is “increased airport screeners”. It’s not quite clear what “increased” means in this case – having travelers go through security twice, perhaps. What’s lacking in Space’s analysis is a clear rationale for amplifying airport security.

There is no specific terrorist threat against American airports that would justify this change. There has not been even one terrorist plot that has succeeded in getting through airport security since it was improved in 2001.

Without an established need, and without a reasonable prospect for a tangible security benefit, Zach Space’s everything-possible policy to increase security for its own sake is designed to satisfy people’s fears without making any actual improvement in their lives.