re: Human nature
The old saying is "one man, one vote, one time." It has not been uncommon in history, and is one reason we can't just rush into a pure democracy in Iraq without setting up some constitution-type safeguards.
I agree with you that it is probably a good sign of political health that a lot of people's suspicious antennas stuck up when the Patriot Act was passed. I would have been a little worried if everyone in the country had enthusiastically greeted it, sight unseen. But that being said, I think some people can stop acting like we'd just fallen under a dictatorship. That response isn't healthy either, and I think it has become apparent that we aren't in danger of such.