For the seven decades from the run-up to World War II to the present reign of terrorist attacks, the people of the United States have fared very nicely, thank you, without having to be told that foreign ideas can't be disseminated.

In the open marketplace where truth and falsehood are on display -- from Adolf Hitler's rantings, through subtle and not so subtle Communist propaganda to the Wizard of Oz threats of Osama bin Laden -- Americans have made generally wise choices with few formal rules about what they should read or hear or watch.

The present is a potentially dangerous time, but one thing the nation does not need is an administration, such as that of President Bush, telling the people through the television networks that Mr. Laden's speeches and interviews shouldn't be broadcast because of their propaganda content. This is nonsense, and betrays, at best, an ignorance of the national strength that the reaction to the September 11 terrorist attacks should have amply demonstrated, or, at worst, a Big Brotherism that seeks to filter information through a paternalistic screen.

In either case, it is disrespectful of this particular democracy.

There have already been warning signs that political cynics who have more influence in the Washington corridors of power than they deserve are trying anew to promote their own agenda under a cloak of "patriotism." This is especially true in some of the economic proposals which, under the guise of stimulating the economy, are, as usual, lining the pockets of the undeserving rich. The trend is all too evident in some of Mr. Bush's proposals to "adjust" or "reschedule" provisions of the already unfair tax laws to benefit the wealthy even more.

The president gave another indication that he was draping politics in the flag by telling the Senate Thursday that passage of his energy package, including environmentally unsound permission to drill for oil in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge, was a matter of "national security." This elusive term, like Dr. Johnson's "patriotism," has long been the last refuge of those trying to disguise misdeeds; during Watergate, President Nixon often used it as a substitute for "political security." Now it appears Mr. Bush is doing the same thing.

Times of national stress, like the present, are times when leaders must be clear in defining their goals and methods if they are to maintain the people's confidence. After September 11, Mr. Bush did just that. Now, he seems to be slipping back into his old ways. He should beware, lest he do his new image -- and his people -- permanent harm.