[ryanwaggoner]

If one was a clever terrorist, you might eventually come to the conclusion that you could do more economic and psychological harm by examining the things people want and need to be able to fly with and then running terror plots that use those items. Things like shoes, underwear, liquids, and electronics come to mind.

But of course, we'd never be so stupid as to play into the terrorists hands this way. I'm sure they don't laugh at us running around like idiots throwing away toiletries, getting strip-searched, and shuffling through security barefoot while someone ogles our naked bodies in another room. We sure showed them!

[aw3c2]

The terrorism I feel is "freedom" (that word is often abused badly) being taken away. This is not what "the terrorists" do, but what our governments to.

[tome]

I'm sure they don't laugh at us running around like idiots throwing away toiletries, getting strip-searched, and shuffling through security barefoot while someone ogles our naked bodies in another room.

I don't entirely understand the individual psychology behind terrorism, but I'm absolutely certain that it isn't so they can laugh at us when we're in the security queue.

[ErrantX]

You've missed his point slightly. It is not that they are literally laughing..

But the point was - terrorists aim to provoke fear and discord; blowing up a passenger aircraft is pretty terrifying, but causing anger, fear frustration and discord on an international scale can be just as good. And all they have to do is get a bomb (even a useless, utterly ineffective one) onto a plane every few months.

Bureaucracy does the rest :)

[rdtsc]

In some places an evil bureaucracy won't be above using its intelligence services for a couple of "false flag" ops. They'll have them plant a bomb or two every 5-6 months. You know, just so to keep a healthy dose of fear running through everyone's veins.

[DuncanIdaho]

These terrorist are trying since forever to destroy the Democracy! And our brave officers are holding them back proudly.

We have located their base of operations and its Eastasia.

[tome]

I disagree. I'd rather see one million people inconvenienced by taking off their shoes than see one person killed by a bomb. I think the terrorists are the other way around.

[rwmj]

http://wondermark.com/220/

[rick_2047]

Things like shoes, underwear, liquids, and electronics come to mind.

Umm.. just as a thinking exercise what can one do with this?

My take, make a bomb which is deployed in the shoe and is triggered by your urine with some electronics in your underwear. You can have some liquids which will help you piss (normal drinks do help but make it specialized).

[rdtsc]

Just a word of warning, be careful about making such comments.

I know someone who was visited by FBI at their workplace, and at home, because of what they said on a message board. They speculated about how a terrorist attack _could_ happen.

Then there is the recent case of Yasir Afifi. FBI were tracking him because his friend made a post that caught their attention.

Unfortunately our law enforcement and other government agencies don't interpret "freedom of speech" like most regular citizens do. And it certainly doesn't guarantee protections against harassment and embarrassing bullying that accompanies such "investigations"

[rick_2047]

Umm... First of all, I know about how your government violates civil rights. But I am Indian so I don't think FBI will track me. And seriously, even FBI can't think that this could happen.

[rdtsc]

Sorry rick_2047, I assumed you were an American citizen.

Most our contributors are American citizens but I forget how many international HNers there are.