To Kill a Gnat

Terrorism

In the 70's the US averaged 2.6 terrorist attacks per year.

In the 80's the US averaged  1.8 terrorist attacks per year.  

In the 90's the US averaged 1.4 terrorist attacks per year.

In the 00's the US averaged 2.6 terrorist attacks per year.

So far the 10's are shaping up to be on par with 1990.

Following the September 11th attacks we passed the Patriot Act, created the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA.  The NSA is spying on everyone... and yet, we are no better or worse off now than we were in the 1970's when Nixon was the only one spying. 

Had all the terrorist plots we foiled, succeeded, it wouldn't significantly alter the statistics or the risk.

Why then are we doing this to ourselves?

Why?