I have thought that the highest and best use of US military and surveillance powers is to coordinate and execute combined actions on all regional "off shore banking havens."  Cut the cables, jam the satellites, send in the marines and airborne and an army of IRS agents and bank examiners.  Just from Bermuda to Panama we could probably "repatriate" enough wealth to pay for the current financial debacle and pay down much of the national debt.  I would call that a return on investment for all of the money we have lavished on the military, etc.

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."