The future of terrorism -- a dying industry?

The future for terrorists appears bleak. Yes, terrorists can cause death and disruption, but if they succeed, they fail.

If the United States, or any other country, for that matter, that has the capability to cause widespread destruction, becomes truly terrorized, the probabilty of horrorific response is likely.

By "truly terrorized" I mean if people become terrorized to the point of fearing imminent danger to themselves and their family, their friends and community. One more major terrorist attack in, say, the heartland of the country that causes many deaths and widespread destruction could do it, or perhpas a couple of attacks.

It would change the mindset, the psychology, of the whole country, where dove and hawk alike go into survival mode and demand retaliation -- of any sort. We may not be able to pinpoint the exact origin of the attacks, but we would accept an approximate origin.

If we were truly terrorized, from the soccer moms to the Generals, we would create such a shit-storm of destruction that the polar bears' bones at the North Pole would rattle as hippies scream "Nuke the bastards" and green peaceniks lose their religion.

Terrorism has a built-in failure. You don't truly terrorize those who can destroy you. We wouldn't be selective, nor sensitive, and we would all experience the power of justified rage.

I imagine just after our response from 9/11 that many countries who harbor terrorists have had second thoughts about the stategy and are a little reluctant to encourage a larger attack. As information gathering becomes more sophisticated and intelligence more technologically savvy, it wouldn't be difficult to locate the approximate origin of the attacks, and all those around the approximate origin would be at risk. And if we can't pinpoint a specific group hidden among innocent civilians then we would most likely, as they say,  allow God to sort out the carnage.

This is not bluster, merely a prediction of a probable human response when survival mode kicks in.

The fact is we have the capability to cause massive destruction. This doesn't mean we can forget about terrorism, because they may think they can attack small-scale, periodically, and not push the terror to unbearable limits. However, after the considerable and awful damage and deaths caused by 9/11, it wouldn't take much to send us ballistic, and it will take a long time for that memory to subside.

Plus with all the pressure being put on terrorists and countries who are terrorist-friendly, it will become more difficult to organize and plan and recruit. If we push forward with energy independence, or if alternative energy sources begin reducing the need for oil, their financing will dry up. Whole countries, like Iran, could collapse -- they are showing signs of strain now.

The terrorist industry looks as bleak as the financial sector in the US.