In a debate about whether a government mandate requiring installation of carbon monoxide detectors in homes is akin to the death of liberty, David Frum cites this William F. Buckley quote that I’ve never heard, but love:

Haven’t been able to find the source for this quote. But it really captures what I see as the biggest obstacle to making progress in political discussion: our leaders’ unwillingness to admit that not everything supported by their opponents will necessarily put the nation on a slippery slope toward socialism and/or fascism. The job of policymakers is not to complain about slippery slopes, but to draw a line on that slope at a reasonable point and say “Here is the best balance between liberty and security.” Right?