I rarely use this site to simply post links, but Bruce Schneier has an excellent article on the security theater of the TSA and other governmental organizations. As he says:
When people are scared, they need something done that will make them feel safe, even if it doesn't truly make them safer. Politicians naturally want to do something in response to crisis, even if that something doesn't make any sense...
Our current response to terrorism is a form of "magical thinking." It relies on the idea that we can somehow make ourselves safer by protecting against what the terrorists happened to do last time.
Schneier is one of the most respected experts in security - electronic or otherwise - and when somebody of his stature speaks out on these issues it gives me some hope that change might be possible.
Not much, mind you.