The BIGGEST QUESTION for me is this: Will there every come a point where the government will say "Ok, the world is safe again, we're giving you your liberties back."?
I think I know the answer to that one but you will not like it one bit.
What's the last time a country repealed a law that limited citizens rights somehow without there being a confrontation about it?
Because I would argue that the end of the legal limits on the price you could charge on things in most of Europe was just such an event.
In 1972 the draft ended. In 1996 export of strong cryptography from the US was legalized. Since the 1990's, 18 states have either decriminalized marijuana or legalized medicinal marijuana. A couple states during that time span legalized assisted suicide. Judicial rulings in the past ten years alone have overturned laws banning firearms and sodomy, and in five states, same sex marriage was legalized.
The BIGGEST QUESTION for me is: Will there ever come a point where our airlines WILL be safe again? If there is ever a lapse in our security, will someone new try to embarrass us using the same attack? Will the world ever be safe?
Even before 9/11, it was by far much easier to 'destroy' a city than it is to hijack an airplane to do whatever.