The full-body airport scanners were invasive when they provided a nude image of the passenger. Now that I find out they use X-Rays to do this, I have to wonder: are we really so stupid that we would sacrifice our health for the illusion of security?
Sure, they “tested” it. On children? Infants? Pregnant women? The workers who will sit near it all day? Let me share with you the recipe for public health nightmare:
1 part rushed product
1 part widespread use
That’s it. That’s all it takes. It’s so easy even a car with Down’s Syndrome like the Toyota Prius can do it.
Body scanners aren’t necessary. It will not stop terrorism. It is another prop in the theatre of security that airports are forced to put on daily in order to help us believe we are safe. As long as our foreign policy decisions piss people off, people in other countries will hate us. Of course, there’s far more deaths involving Americans killing Americans, but for some reason it’s more terrifying to be killed by a foreigner.
If you’re a terrorist, here’s what you do: get someone a job as a baggage handler and have him throw a bunch of bombs on a bunch of planes on July 4th. Or, use plastic box cutters to take the plane. It doesn’t take a genius to circumvent our “security.” Next, they’ll probably shove the bomb up their ass, and everyone will have to be given a full body cavity search before boarding.
Wouldn’t it be nice to see this kind of invasion of privacy was being directed at real issues, like politicians and their integrity? I’m curious what it is they all have up their ass. I might actually watch C-SPAN for that: Congressional colonoscopies.
And yet over here, they have finally relaxed their stupid rules on quantities of liquids and nail files on internal flights...
ReplyDeleteThe last time that I flew to the States (January), it took me 3.5 hours to get to my gate. I was frisked three times, and the second last one was an RCMP officer. On my way back, ten minutes to gate. Clearly, the issue is outsiders killing Americans, not Americans killing their own.
ReplyDeleteDear world,
ReplyDeletePlease send sanity.
Your friend,
The United States
We could boycott flying. It would both reduce the pointless indignities and help the environment given as how flying in the most environmentally unfriendly way to travel.
ReplyDeleteYes, let's just live like Amish people because cars kill thousands per year and eradicated the pandas...
ReplyDeleteFor fuck's sake, we shouldn't have to sacrifice an advanced way of living just because some people in America are afraid of their own shadow. The airlines don't want to do this stuff, it's government regulations. Why should they go out of business because we elect pussies?
I agree.... If you do not fly, then you have to take a car or boat, both of which pollute.... I really do not want to have to go to Europe by boat, sorry.
ReplyDeleteIf you're an apologist for the state (as both Ginx and government-loving Tink are) then why are you so upset? When you give government more power over our lives, to "protect" us with endless regulations and give us things like "free" health care, you can't really be surprised when you end up with tyranny.
ReplyDeleteIt's like conservatives who support a huge military and security state, but at the same time advocate "getting government out of our lives". It's a contradiction.
SE: I feel it's pathetic to have to point out that government does not have to fail, but there you have it. America has produced such awful leadership in my lifetime that some Americans actually believe government cannot work and that the best hope we have is some gun-soaked "Road Warrior" fantasy where every man is his own action hero.
ReplyDeleteSad.
SE- Could you please explain to me how you interpreted my comments as being "government loving", when in fact they were the opposite. My comments are pretty critical of American airline security.
ReplyDeleteAnd, please enlighten me as to how "free healthcare" is even a bad thing for the people? Really wondering.
Tinkbell, I was referring of course to your previous comments on other posts at this blog.
ReplyDeleteYour very reference to "free" health care (meaning government provided health care) being a good thing (or at least not "bad") proves that my label was apt.
I wonder though why you would take offense (as it seems you are) to being called governemnt-loving if government is such a benevolent provider of benefits.
As to why "free" health care is bad, well, it's not really free, is it? Our own U.S. Medicare system, for example, is unsustainable, as the money to pay for future obligations simply will not be there.
Don't you see, tink, either we want to live in anarchy or we support Stalinist goulags and laws which tell us how to wipe our asses.
ReplyDeleteeither we want to live in anarchy or we support Stalinist goulags and laws which tell us how to wipe our asses.
ReplyDeleteYou're not far from the truth there, Ginx.
The fact is, to believe that the state can be tamed when by definition it has the legal monopoly on the use of force and doesn't hesitate to use it against those who defy it (the war on drugs is just one example) is as delusional as any fanatical religious belief.
Some nations are peacefully altering their view on drugs. It takes a citizenry who want change, not slogans. Anarchy is just a slogan for those who have been successfully pitched the myth that deregulation is freedom. We've had deregulation since Reagan, and we've had nothing but instability and exploitation.
ReplyDeleteI may be a shill for the government, an imperfect collection of corrupt politicians, but you're a shill for the the corruptors, the purse-holders who buy the influence and seek to circumvent the only source of power for the common person: democracy. I'd rather be on the side of democracy than a bunch of self-interested Social Darwinists.
"Social Darwinists", "gun-soaked 'Road Warrior' fantasy"; Ginx, your parody version of anarchy never ceases to amaze and amuse me.
ReplyDeleteExplain to me how anarchy is not Social Darwinism or point to one anarchy that is not a war-torn disaster. I can point to over a dozen nations with socialized healthcare and a longer life expectancy than the US.
ReplyDeleteSE, you don't even know what it is you are asking for with anarchy.
I am not American, I am Canadian.... I have lived with free health care my entire life and I am very proud of this.
ReplyDeleteI am Canadian
ReplyDeleteI'm well aware of that and that you've been saturated from birth with pro-state propaganda.
I have lived with free health care my entire life and I am very proud of this
Some people have no shame. As for myself, I don't want to make any deals with the Devil. The price is too high.
tink... this is so mind-wrenchingly typical of Americans. I'm pretty sure there's something in the bottled water.
ReplyDeleteThat, or the fast food sludge that rots in their bowels and slows down the circulation to their brains....
ReplyDeleteWow..... I guess this is to be expected on some level. I hated George W Bush only as an outsider. I guess that there are many who are so traumatized by his presidency that they would turn down the ability to have babies, life saving surgeries, or routine preventative medicine without going bankrupt or having an insurance pay private investigators to get the shit on you so that they don't have to pay you money. Shame on me for saddling up to feed at the trough so the government can get full control of my life.
Really too easy.
I eat fast food. I don't drink bottled water. Last time I was in Canada... you could eat fast food.
ReplyDeleteYou know what's hilarious? Half of these guys are burnt out stoners who hate the government because they got sent to jail and were raped, or they spent their life living in fear of such. And yet... Canada's "Big Brother" state is tolerant of cannabis.
Basically, Americans forgot the government works for them. It's American policy to instigate armed conflict whenever a dispute erupts. We just ain't so good with usin' them.... whataya call 'em... words.
I have no more to say in this thread. Sometimes you've just got to stop feeding the pro-state trolls.
ReplyDeleteYes, plenty of Fast Food in the Great White North too..... But, the consumption seems to be much higher down your way. Last time I was there, the average person seemed to be carrying at least at the bare minimum, 40 pounds that they do not need.
ReplyDeleteYes, Bush did feed a state of paranoia and fear. You know what else, these guys have probably been fed a whole lot of BS about Canada so that they would not want any better for themselves. Canada is by no means perfect, we have our share of problems, but compared to the US, we are Paradise Lost. Our PM is useless, our Parliament is a minority government which means stalemate, and he prorouged all activity until March so that he would not have to answer questions about Canadians soldiers in Afghanistan. And, the base commander of one of our biggest military bases just murdered two innocent women, one was quite young. So, there you go.