Boofhead
It was difficult to read anything else into your post.
I don't know what the TSA's stats are, and indeed how they arrive at them. I believe, that Europe has a much better record.
The problems of the 70's & 80's was not confined to 'there were problems, but they were localised and in those countries, with obvious official support, guns and explosives were provided. '
It was tried and failed in the UK. Our Goverments may have be guilty of many things but certainly not providing offical support!
The aircraft in the examples I used did not originate in countries that supply support for terrorists either.
On your point concerning the TSA, some (although not all) of the items used would not have been allowed on a flight in the US, had there been adequate security. Most would not have been allowed on one originating in the UK, where the security, if not perfect, is a bloody sight better!
You say
'The same can happen now, since the last way they would want to bring weapons on board would be through the passenger security lines.'
Which is the point of the excerise, to stop things being brought in that way.
It also stops crew carring items they don't know the contents of (yes, it does happen!)
You claim that the searches don't work? Really? How many hijacks before 9/11? How many since?
I do agree that a route in is via the back door. But I would suggest thats a failing in the American (and apparently Australian) way of doing it. Although inconvienent, certainly LHR manages to rumage through tool kits caterring vans etc.