Another opinionated New York City dweller checking in…
There are only two stable solutions to the threat of terrorism–
a) a global police state (or several dissociated ones for that matter) such that the freedom to perpetrate terrorism effectively doesn’t exist anywhere; or
b) the general level of happiness and satisfaction with political and social circumstances is high enough everywhere that there are no significant pockets of angry dissatisfied people to support terrorist activities on a meaningful scale.
Twenty years ago I would’ve said (heck, I actually DID say) that things would come to a head when some terrorist group set off a primitive Hiroshima-sized do-it-yourself atomic device in a major “free world” city. Actually yesterday’s activities, especially if similar events creates a constant threat, could well be sufficient.
Anyone care to argue that these are NOT the only long-term alternatives?