John S. Quarterman has a typically intelligent essay, Perilocity: What can We Do about Terrorism?,
Well, for one thing, [we] can continue to discourage use of methods that have little promise of working, such as blanket scans of all telephone numbers or electronic mail, which just increase the haystack without making finding the needle more likely, or national ID cards such as the British government has been pushing lately.
…
As to what could [we] encourage, how about more Arabic and Farsi-speaking intelligence people, more intelligence and law enforcement agents who understand the cultures that are producing the terrorists and what their grievances are; maybe even agents who can infiltrate them.
And there’s more…
[Bonus update: TSA Insanity by George RR Martin (via Making Light)]
Listen, the fact is that we are still vulnerable. I highly suggest you all take proactive action and make sure you are prepared for any dangerous situation. By the way have you all seen the new Breath of Life emergency escape mask? The guys in my building got it and its awsome! It is pocket-size and weighs like an ounce and a half, and gives you time to escape to safety. Check it out at http://www.technonllc.com