I think a primary goal of TSA is force americans to function in an environment where they pretty much have no rights, and no real recourse nor access to the rules they are being searched by.
This is presumably a prelude to having this level of federal direct control/intervention in many more aspects of our lives.
From a longer-term view, when a country reaches this point, I think it is time to consider finding a new country, because history is very, very unkind on what has to happen BEFORE this stuff gets removed. Late-stage republic, well into the demogogue phase, what comes next? More and more a police state, with government more concerned with control over its own people that worrying about external enemies.
Also, will add that walking into their x-ray machines strikes me as a very poor risk-reward - these things have no public test history or oversight for human safety or long-term impact of repeated exposures.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2013733774_scanners22.html