What It All Means

What does the attempted bombing of a Northwest passenger plane on Christmas Day mean, in totality?
It means, first of all, that we had better get used to some cold, hard facts, as a sports channel likes to say.
It means that the war on terrorism really IS a war, involving people who really do want to do away with us.
It means that the war will never, really, end.
It means that the processes by which we try to figure out who will try to hurt us before they actually try, are incomplete and imperfect.
It means that as long as human beings operate part of those processes, there will probably be instances in which somebody who shouldn't get through all the inspections, does.
It means that we need full-body inspective devices--at every gate in very airport. There need be little concern about privacy; that seems to be taken care of.
It means that we will need to pay higher taxes for higher security, and we had better get used to that idea.
It means that wherever the enemy rears its head, whatever government is in charge of the area probably can't deal with it by itself--which is why he's there in the first place.
It means that U.S. invasions will increase in the near future.
It means that U.S. personnel will be stretched to the breaking point.
It means that we will need a draft.