John Robb, author of Brave New War, appears to take issue with my injunction to stop being afraid of our own shadows when it comes to attack by terrorism:

Unlike a year ago, any attack on US commercial areas (retail, transportation, etc.) will have outsized network effects. Here’s why. Due to a global economic collapse and excessive indebtedness, Americans have cut back on purchases to repair household balance sheets (this is a long running secular shift). This has put most retail facing firms on the edge of bankruptcy. Any attack on commercial crowds over a large geographic area would radically reduce already depressed revenues at these firms (and drive costs for security through the roof), as people stay away from crowds until they feel safe again.

If John is correct, and I’m not saying that he’s wrong, then we are doomed.  When any attack that inflicts a few hundred casualties can bring our country down, then it’s just a matter of time until somebody does it. Continue at Defense and the National Interest