In the US, you're required to use a TSA approved lock which they can open. Otherwise your luggage may be forced open (as it's subject to search) or delayed.
It was Frankfurt, I believe, where my computer bag made it through, without the computer. Fortunately, I was able to recover it some weeks later.
I realize that europeans perhaps think europe is nirvana...but it's not. In fact, in the US, I get searched once...entering the secure area.
In some places in Europe, I get searched three times. In England I've seen bags confiscated, even thrown in the trash at Heathrow, because the traveller wasn't informed he couldn't have two bags...and had to choose which one went on from there...and that was going between terminals. You won't see that in the US.
As a crewmember getting to my airplane in Bahrain, I have to be screened several times...that's as a uniformed crewmember. At Brussels, I have to be screened just to cross the airfield...to leave. Same in Hong Kong.
That's not required in the US.
In Australia years ago, my first time in Sydney, I beeped as I went through a detector. I was physically slammed up against a wall and searched, then pushed out of the way and told to move on. In Jeddah, I was physically tossed out of a line when I didn't reply in arabic, and was detained on several occasions in different locations by men with MP5 sub guns.
By comparison, in the US I've travelled on a number of occasions with firearms or other weapons, legally, safely, and have been treated with courtesy and without difficulty. On one occasion I managed to forget a magazine on a belt holster, which had 7 rounds of 155 grain .40 S&W ammunition. It was a concealment rig, and I managed to miss it. I found it just before the detector, held it up, and they were quite courteous...offered to let me go somewhere I could make arrangements to have someone pick it up. I didn't have time, and knew I'd have to give it to them...they apologized profusely for having to take it. On another occasion the same thing happened with a small spyderco knife.
I've never had TSA rip my bags apart. I've always had a note inside stating that the contents have been searched, and asking me to verify the contents. Conversely, I've had airlines rip my bag comlpletely in half before, then refuse to do anything about it.
TSA is not the devil incarnate, followed by a legion of blue an white-shirted minions.