Trust but verify only works if you can actually verify

Schneier's analysis is all correct so far as it goes, and in its fundamental analysis that society doesn't work without trust and when you get lied to too often, you simply can't trust.

The problem is, there is no reliable (trustworthy) mechanism to verify that trust is well-placed in anything resembling security matters, and not only has the American public not yet shown any significant concern over security issues, but the basic check that it has on misgovernment — the vote — is overwhelmed in the number of issues (and non-issues) that vie against security-vs-liberty as a priority. Especially when there's not a nickel's worth of difference between presidential candidates on the matter.

Reshared post from +Alex Scoble

Bruce Schneier gets to the heart of the matter of the recent revelations of US government spying on its citizens. That our system works because of trust and once that trust has been undermined, it's very difficult to get it back.