"And they succeeded only in blowing up part of the basement and starting a fire. And, in hindsight, it was a lucky break"
Which is OUR lucky break. We never saw it coming. Which also disproves your earlier assertion that "But, with the exception of AQ's ability to pull off the 9/11 attacks, there is no history whatsoever of underestimating the attack capability of Islamicists."
"Unless and until the government is willing to put its money where its mouth is and protect our borders and our ports, this rings pretty hollow."
I'll agree that we have to close the boarders, but because you don't try to treat a cold is no reason not to treat a cancer.
First, my reference was to underestimating their capability, not their intent or their willingness. I don't think anyone believed that they weren't capable of setting off a car bomb in a parking lot. It is a long leap from there to a cataclysmic attack of the type this Administration constantly tries to conjure in our minds.
Your medicine reference is appropriate, but your analogy is a bit off. A more apt comparison would be between taking your own vaccine as opposed to killing off a carrier of the disease.
Perhaps this is where we disagree. You, and many others, seem to think that we can eradicate radical Islam simply by killing as many radical Muslims as we can find who have indicated some sympathy for those who would attack us. If we kill all those who might attack us, then there is no need to protect ourselves, because there is no threat. I, on the other hand, think that the elimination of the threat in the vast areas of the globe that we do not control is a fantasy, and a fantasy recklessly perpetuated by the Administration.