Naive response on multiple levels. An ad hominem implies that the criticism is superficial or irrelevant to the main issue. Money is the main cause from a realist point of view, not an accessory. Money waiting to be made is the first item in the chain of causation for many (most?) government projects.

The outline: problem in government that can be solved -> contractor group identifies problem -> contractor group contacts their lobbyist -> lobbyist lobbies government at right points -> contractor group gets contract to solve problem for far more $ than the problem is worth (usually) -> lobbyist can now find another job for the contractors as soon as they identify another problem.

Ask qui bono, ruthlessly. Follow the money from branch to root. Do some research on where the money is ending up, and you'll find who set the process in motion via corruption.

On a side note, Americans will never feel safe because there is a pervasive circus of media and behavioral memes which encourage fearfulness and paranoia. Have you ever seen the nightly news? Have you ever talked with a mom? We could be sitting alone in sterile jail cells, and people would still worry that the jail cell being cold might give us pneumonia.