Shadow government

Andrew McCarthy recently wrote that he wished the supporters of government surveillance programs would do a better job of defending what he thinks are essential programs.  Today, Mark Steyn explains why he thinks the "national-security right" is shrinking:

But the real reason why there are fewer defenders of their programs than Andy would like is the subject he tackles in his excellent books:  the ideological faintheartedness of the United States.  In this struggle, our enemies hide in plain sight, but Western governments will not confront them in plain sight.  As I wrote here last month:

Because the formal, visible state has been neutered by political correctness, the dark, furtive shadow state has to expand massively to make, in secret, the judgment calls that can no longer be made in public.

Operational secrecy probably makes sense to most Americans, but we'd like to think that they still have a voice in policy.