>Yes, on a cost-benefit basis it would seem we have gotten absolutely
>zilch national security for all the billions we've spent -- whatever
>the exact number may be -- on glitzy weaponry.
What are you talking about? The U.S. has successfully dominated the world for the last 50 years, destroying its longtime rival, crushing any ideological, political, or military challenge to its rule, and pacifying the domestic population. If that isn't success, I don't know what is. The downing of the WTC, while it may be the beginning of something very ugly, can hardly be considered the end of the imperium.
Doug