One post to attempt to address your inquiries.
In a perfect world with unlimited resources, ideally our security should employ everything available. Once upon a time I was somewhat knowledgeable about terrorism, counter-terrorism, and defensive methodologies. I claim no expertise here and now.
What I might settle for to provide adequate routine airport security would be a combination of:
1. An intelligence-based data platform. Since positive identification is necessary, iris-prints/fingerprints/footprints or whatever it might take to make positive and absolute ID. Every passenger on a manifest is screened and positively IDed. Those on "No-Fly" lists don't fly.
2. In the absence of fool-proof mindreading devices, some physiological test for sweat, pulse-rate, or other indicator of agitation or abnormal activity; it might mean a hormonal panel.
3. Passenger profiling with appropriate decision triage. On a recent flight, somebody marked about seventeen (17) suspicious people who should have been taken somewhere, strip-searched, questioned, and thoroughly screened. Nothing like that happened because of a climate of political correctness. Psychological evaluations would be a part of the passenger profiling.
4. Scanning of all baggage, commercial shipments, and passengers and crew using the backscatter or other appropriate industrial tools and TOTAL body scanning equipment.
5. Pat-downs and strip searches whenever necessary. Just MHO.
In the above brief outline, did you read any mention of shoe magazines or taking off of shoes? Methinks that is a psychological game that security people play to fool the passengers that something is being done to protect them. IMHO, that is about what the value of a shoe magazine might be.
You asked for my views, what are yours? TIA.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
