Leading a banana republic

There is a name for countries that utilise rampant, unchecked power:

"In search of a terrorist nuclear bomb, the [US] federal government since 9/11 has run a far-reaching, top secret program to monitor radiation levels at over a hundred Muslim sites in the Washington, D.C., area, including mosques, homes, businesses, and warehouses, plus similar sites in at least five other cities, U.S. News has learned. In numerous cases, the monitoring required investigators to go on to the property under surveillance, although no search warrants or court orders were ever obtained, according to those with knowledge of the program. Some participants were threatened with loss of their jobs when they questioned the legality of the operation, according to these accounts."

The Bush administration seems to believe that any action it takes can be justified as defending national security. Thankfully, many disagree. Perhaps Bush and his cronies would be better suited to running a banana republic in Latin America.