After fifty years of lies, unfulfilled promises, scandals, costly, deadly, lengthy wars with no ultimate benefit to the U.S., and “government knows best,” the NSA revelations were a watershed. No matter how many times proponents of the surveillance state have tried to assure “ordinary” Americans that we have nothing to fear, that safeguards are in place, that such programs are necessary for national security, many Americans simply are not listening, which is what people do when they no longer believe. All of the supposed safeguards are within the government itself; NSA records are a treasure trove of sensitive information; such information has been misused time and time again; the knowledge that it is being collected chills the exercise of Constitutional rights; inevitably it will someday be used to stifle critics of politicians and the government. The close House vote on the Amash amendment, which would have restricted the NSA’s access to records, was an indication of widespread public and legislative distrust and fear. Syria offers the electorate a chance to exercise some control over a political elite that no longer believes that it is either accountable to it or subject to its control. Whether they are skeptical that the gas attacks either occurred or were perpetrated by the Syrian government, or they do not buy the rationales presented for continuation of the eleven-year war in the Middle East, a clear majority of Americans are strongly against Syrian involvement. They do not believe what the government is telling them. Such disbelief spans the political spectrum, and it is the healthiest development in American politics in decades. Obama does not really want to fight this war; if he is smart he will grab Putin’s lifeline. Vladimir will want plenty for this little “favor,” but he is giving Obama a face saving out. If the government blunders into Syria, it will be cut no slack; it has lost the benefit of the doubt. Our “leaders” have only themselves to blame.