Has parody mag The Onion taken over the Los Angeles Times? They have adopted a reactionary posture on the issue of basic human dignity and privacy. They have fallen into the TSA trap of choosing between basic human dignity on the one hand and passenger security on the other. There is no conflict between these two critical values.
“We’re not wild about the new methods either, but they’re a necessary evil in the era of suicide bombers who board planes with chemical explosives in their underwear,” writes the LA Times. However, the TSA has yet to show that these new radiation machines are actually capable of detecting the explosive used by last January’s underwear bomber. The UK’s Daily Mail reports that the millimetre wave scanners, for sure, can not detect chemicals or light plastics. The jury is out on the higher radiation x-ray backscatter scanners. And Israeli airport security expert Rafi Sela says he can get enough explosives through the scanners to take down a 747.
As Israeli airline El Al has shown, there need not be a conflict between privacy and security. This new TSA security theater requires giving up our privacy for no additional security. We need something better.
On a side note, the LA Times article has not been well-received. Although it was published last night, only a few people have shared it on Facebook and 146 people have rated it a 1.54 on a scale of 5.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Well it looks like its time to hit these airports where it really hurts. Security and our Civil Liberties are tantamount on any level, so we should just boycott airports period.
If there is absolutely no way the commercial liners that control our beloved airports want to offer up a solution to our woes, then we should turn to alternatives so that what really hurts is their wallet.
Midway companies like Midwest cannot stay at a location if they can’t pay for the planes let alone all the fee’s that go with it. Sure the Legend Airlines could survive such an assault (with business fliers ignoring things like liberties for their jobs) however less has taken down more in the past.
Fritz I think the current and any future admistrations would be happy to take over the airlines.
Areonot:
When the FEDs bailed out the automotive industry, they took it in the chin in terms of PR. Government no longer cares to take over industry. Smaller airlines woulg go under first, then majors would start to feel it. THEN they would soart to advocate for some sanity from theTSA.
*would