Yes, that is how a fascist authoritarian state is established. Constitution be damned. You scare people, you continually raise their level of fear through creative use of the news media, you empower the bullies in society to go around terrorizing the ordinary public. You blame it all on some kind of supposed threat from without or within. You increase police powers, military power, and domestic surveillance. You accuse anyone who stands up and protests of being unpatriotic or worse than that...of being a terrorist. You imprison, torture, and kill.

All in the name of national security....and "freedom" (ha ha)