If you are so convinced that we live in a new and dangerous world, then please provide us with the statistics showing how many people worldwide were killed in terrorist acts the past decade, vs. the several decades prior to 9/11/01. I don't have the statistics, but since you are convinced that the past decade has been much more dangerous than previous times, I expect you to be able to back that up with some numbers.

I am not saying there are no threats. I am claiming that the threat level is not significantly higher today than in previous decades, and that it does not justify the billions spent in the name of homeland security over the past ten years.

Terrorism didn't start the morning of 9/11/01. Terrorism against aviation didn't start that morning either.

The TSA was created at a time when the wound from the attacks was still very raw. With time it has become clearer that 9/11/01 did not presage a new era of nonstop attacks.

I remain unconvinced that the threats against aviation at the end of 2011 are any higher than in 2000 or 1990 or 1980. And given all the hijackings of the '60s and '70s that led to airport checkpoints in the first place, I might even argue that there are fewer threats today.