America After 9/11: Did the Terrorists Win? | 9/25/25

Former FBI National Security Intelligence Supervisor George Hill joins host Keith Malinak for a Thursday Deep Dive into how post-9/11 laws reshaped America’s balance between safety and freedom.

From the Camp David pivot after 9/11 to the Patriot Act’s sweeping powers, Hill explains how intelligence agencies expanded into sprawling domestic surveillance networks with limited oversight. Drawing on his experience in the Marines, Navy, NSA, and FBI, he unpacks counterterrorism, FISA courts, fusion centers, and the blurred line between protection and liberty.

What did the Patriot Act really achieve? How did Edward Snowden’s disclosures change public understanding? And where should new guardrails be set today?

A fact-driven conversation on surveillance, privacy rights, and the future of civil liberties in the U.S.

Episode Chapters

• 0:00 Why This Deep Dive Matters
• 3:00 9/11’s Shockwave & National Security Redefined
• 9:00 Patriot Act 101: Powers, Promises, Tradeoffs
• 18:00 Building the Machine: From Agencies to Intel Web
• 27:00 Liberty vs. Safety: Where’s the Line?
• 36:00 Snowden’s Files: What We Learned (and Didn’t)
• 45:00 FISA, Prevention & “Pre-Crime” Policing
• 54:00 Borders, Risks & Policy Fallout
• 1:03:00 Flashpoints at Home: Polarization and Violence
• 1:12:00 Takeaways, Guardrails & What Comes Next

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