Al-Qaida Victorious

Bravo! Not only can we now look forward to completely overdone controls at airports and debates about the necessity of universally employing full-body scanners as well, we’ve also now made air travel — once the hallmark of a globalized, capitalist world — a torture rather than a pleasure.

Al-Qaida has succeeded in turning the United States and Europe against each other. The U.S. government’s decision to warn American travelers to Europe to be on the alert for possible terrorist attacks is nothing short of just plain dumb. It only proves once again just how much irrational fear lowers the quality of life in the Western world.

Although the probability of being struck by lightning is clearly higher than being killed in a terrorist attack, half the world’s people stand paralyzed in fear of just such an attack. That doesn’t help anyone at all. No one can seriously believe that if American tourists keep their eyes open while traveling through Europe they can bring an end to terrorism.

Terrorist attacks are prevented by effective intelligence work, and that is precisely what the United States and Europe should be striving toward (and improving trans-Atlantic cooperation in that area as well). Ludicrous security measures in airports are about as effective as illogical travel advisories.

Al-Qaida has now succeeded beyond its wildest dreams. The Western world has changed its daily habits. We humiliate ourselves, for example, with exaggerated security measures. People are paralyzed with fear for completely irrational reasons. And Osama bin Laden sits in a cave somewhere getting a good laugh whenever his advisors tell him what we’re doing now. His organization may currently be weakened to the point of being irrelevant, but unless we come to our senses soon, al-Qaida will have won the endgame.