How about not trying to eliminate terrorists through military action, when we've known for generations that it hasn't worked. How about not removing a government that we know isn't a good one- one that was in zero jeopardy of being overthrown from within or by insurgency, and replacing it with our own form of government, forcing us to stay there, because it will fold like a deck of cards if we leave. How about economincally fortifying ourselves right after it happened, instead of telling people to go visit shopping malls. How about not pouring billions of dollars into a war that can't be won OR lost.
People haven't gotten on with there lives and you can't refute that. People have become xenophobic, fearing anything arab or muslin- which is wrong.
Face it, we're in deep, and neither Obama nor McCain are going to be able to fix this mess.