If the Americans of the 19th century behaved as many Americans do today, we would still be a nation of farmers, living somewhat like the Amish with their reliance on horses and hand power. This is because an exaggerated aversion to risk shapes discussion (from missile defense to free trade) in ways that the more confident America of the past could not have imagined. New technologies in particular excite this aversion, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) leads the pack when it comes to exa