Provides an analysis of the United States government's narrow-minded focus on security in the years since World War II and how it has become huge, unwieldy, and a detriment to democracy and the economy.

Losing our way -- The godfather -- The framing of the permanent emergency state -- Runaway train -- Belated realism -- Tunnel vision -- Emergency repairs -- Damage control -- A different path -- The president we wanted -- Soft landing -- Bridge to nowhere -- Come the destroyer -- Hope abandoned -- Beyond the emergency state.