Ron Paul (Republican-but-really-Libertarian, TX) makes the following comment on his weekly column concerning the reauthorization of the Patriot Act:

Let’s remember that London is the most heavily monitored city in the world, with surveillance cameras recording virtually all public activity in the city center. British police officials are not hampered by our 4th amendment nor our numerous due process requirements. In other words, they can act without any constitutional restrictions, just as supporters of the Patriot Act want our own police to act. Despite this they were not able to prevent the bombings, proving that even a wholesale surveillance society cannot be made completely safe against determined terrorists. Congress misses the irony entirely. The London bombings don’t prove the need for the Patriot Act, they prove the folly of it.

London is sporting half a million cameras, according to MSNBC. I can’t imagine that suicide bombers mind being caught on tape on the way to their target. They’d probably prefer it.

Surveillance cameras are being sold on us as a measure of prevention, not as an aid to help solve crimes. Until they reach out and grab would-be evildoers before they can push the button, there is no prevention.