Not to detract from the appalling tragedy that has occurred, or to diminish the grieving and suffering of those that have been affected by this heinous act...but from the stance of political fallout, looking ahead to the not-too-distant future: any opposition from congressional members to President Bush's defense proposals has, by now, crumbled like the Towers. After yesterday, to oppose any sort of defense spending increases, especially in the area of intelligence gathering, would be political suicide. No doubt Bush's handlers have already made the President aware of this, and in the ensuing weeks Bush will invoke this tragedy advantageously to bolster his political agenda. It would not be surprising to expect an avalanche of jingoistic rhetoric to follow soon from the White House and Capitol Hill.

Big Brother agencies, like the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, will probably get a huge financial shot in the arm as a result of yesterday's tragedy. While budget increases to these agencies may reduce the probability of terrorist acts like the ones that occurred yesterday against the United States, the temptation nevertheless, will be to compromise what little is left of the average citizen's privacy.