I understand what he is saying. He is basicaly quoting Ben Franklin.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both. "
This does not exactly qualify him as a looney. The movie "The Patriot" shows his love for his country and its long lost principles.
The movie "The Patriot" does not show Gibson's love of the USofA, IMHO. It is full of lies! It shows Gibson's hate of England and its primary religion.
His country? Australia? Or did he "re-become" an American citizen? Maybe he'll "become" Scots, and play off the Braveheart thing.
I'd personally rather be free, but run the risk of dying in a terrorist attack.. then be unfree but safe, like the soviet union was in some ways.
My only complaint about 'Gigson' has always been that he is too anti-English.
Schools used to teach about the great "SWAMP FOX"; Francis Marion. I guess they no longer do.
And as to that much over/misused Franklin quote, old Ben would never have made it through WW II and neither would America, had America followed that hackneyed position.
Ben Franklin did not know into how small a package one could compress the fires of hell. The death toll on 09/11/01 was about 8% of the population of Philadelphia. What are we going to lose with a 1 kiloton nuke? A little security?