Anticipating Terrorism

The best article, which I read last weekend on the London thwarted terrorist plot came from Bruce Schneier. He argues that we haven't learned to think ahead of the terrorists and that we are only reacting to their every move instead of anticipating it. He writes, "Security measures that require us to guess correctly don't work, because invariably we will guess wrong. It's not security, it's security theater: measures designed to make us feel safer but not actually safer." I agree with him. I wonder if it is always going to be possible to count on countries such as Pakistan to fight terrorism. I fear that terrorists have more imagination than those whose goal it is to protect the people and this failure of imagination will catch up with us and cause another tragedy. There isn't such a thing as total security, but there are such things as common sense and effective and imaginative flexibility. Michael Hampton has more to say on this subject.

Comments

[Michael Hampton]

Common sense? From the government? You must be kidding. That's not part of their job.

[ExpatJane]

I just think it will be hard to think ahead at all times. But in order to perserve life we're going to have to learn how to adapt and react a lot quicker.

Let's just hope they do figure it out.

[Kiki]

I think we better hope that not only they figure it out, but that the fear of attacks will force them to do things that government don't usually do suh as applying some common sense.