I've been a big Dennis Miller Live fan since his show started on HBO. My disappointment in his "I'm scared so forget about civil liberties" attitude since September 11 however has lead me to believe that he is getting soft in his old age.
The show this week was a rerun with Gloria Allred as the guest. Unfortunately, he sounded like a scared child looking to government to fix all. There's a lot of that going around, of course, but do we really think that government or anyone can protect us from terrorism? Really?
Miller made a lot of points that would be compelling if they had any basis in reality. Unfortunately, they were vague, emotional rantings that lacked a basis in reason and principle. He glossed over the fact that the fourth and fifth amendments have been shredded by inJustice and INS since September. He didn't care that innocent people have been locked up for no reason. Even more disturbing, he came out in favor of torture, no trial necessary, actual real evidence and proof is not necessary. Why? Because he's scared. His fear is not unfounded, but his endorsement of unfettered police state tactics and open hostility towards the Bill of Rights and civil libertarians shows a real disconnect with cause and effect. I'd rather be free brother. I already know that security ain't an option. It's time we all stopped shoving our collective heads up our asses and pretending otherwise.
This was the probably the most disappointing DML ever. But I'll be watching again next week, waiting for Dennis to stop being scared.