An interesting discussion subject! What is even more interesting is the fact that this is not a new problem for Western Europe. 2,000 years or so ago, the Roman Empire faced the same dilemma. Huge numbers of foreigners moved into Italy (the heart of the Empire), with no desire to adapt or assimilate. The problem is discussed in volume III of Will Durant's The Story of Civilization. When discussing the decline of Rome, he wrote that: "If Rome had not engulfed so many men of alien blood in so brief a time, . . .  If she had occasionally closed her gates to let assimilation catch up with infiltration . . . (Rome) might have remained a Roman Rome, the voice and citadel of the West. The task was too great." Durant wrote this in 1944. The parallels with modern day Europe are eerie. It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Did you go to Yale caveboy or drummer? This is just a shot in the dark but I'm gunna say you two were community college folks...right?

So are you saying that now when you step on to an airplane that you're not a little thankful for all the extra security measures and for your peers paying a little more attention to their surroundings in the airport, even if you don't? Also, if we can never stop terrorism, does that translate into the U.S. and our allies just sitting around, "clinging to our guns" and keeping a look out for terrorists to show their faces in our neighborhoods, mall, or airport? If we have the capability of hunting terrorist organizations around the world why shouldn't we? If you lived in a small country with no military wouldn't you hope that the U.S. would help you defend your homeland from radicals? I don't see how the terrorists have more at stake.