Because we live in a civilized, affluent society, we tend to deny that the threat actually exists. Many liberal democracies go through this denial period. They complacently and sometimes naively believe these terroristss to be nothing more than hooligans or petty criminials who will eventually disappear or be apprehended quickly by local police. What I have read and seen in my studies and research on a number counter-terrorism efforts is that the longer you deny this problem, the harder it is to get to a solution. This is false.
Time is neutral.
The key to defeating terrorism is the proper utilization of time. Now is the time the United States should begin taking this threat seriously.