Originally Posted by
gsoltso
I like to think in a different way, the goal should always be every flight safe from beginning to end, period. Whether that is acheivable or not is not a factor. It is about trying to do the best job possible and always looking to improve what you have for the next evolution of the nefarious intenders (or loonies, whichever you want to call them).
With all due respect (and I do respect you), you don't really mean that. Because there are limits in how far you, and I, are willing to go in the name of security.
I've used the example of "
Con Air" before, half facetiously, but I think it's a valid point of comparison. We could improve the security of U.S. air travel immensely by applying handcuffs, ankle chains, and waist chains to all passengers. Such a system would've stopped the 9/11 hijackers and the Underwear Bomber, and depending on how the chains were applied, might've stopped the Shoe Bomber as well.
Now clearly my suggestion is ridiculous; it's completely socially unacceptable to treat common commercial travelers as convicted felons. But that shows that when we talk about doing, in your words, the "best job possible", there are limits to what we'll consider. And those limits will, inherently, create security vulnerabilities which cannot be closed.