Morkleb says:

I travel back and forth from Canada to the US frequently, and the security thing wears on you. The people that are stopped are the ones who are just minding their own business, and forgot to take their keys out of their pocket when they go through the metal detector. Honestly, what do they think people are hiding in their shoes?

I highly doubt a terrorist is going to walk through security. They’re going to find a back door; start working there, be a pilot, whatever. In fact, they probably won’t even use planes again. Why bother? Obviously, as you said, it had the desired effect.

Randy says:

Thank you, Andrew. I’ve been preaching to folks for years now about how wrong we have air travel “security” and especially how the goal of the terrorists isn’t killing people. Actual body-counts are secondary to the goal of disrupting society and reducing democracy, but none of the folks in charge seem to get that yet.

Richard says:

As Andrew, Morkleb and Randy demonstrate, six years after 9/11 the “war or terror” is starting to wear on us. The Bush plutocracy has created an entire industry based on terrorizing its citizens … and foreigners, too: DHS also requires that 19 items of personal data about passengers flying from Europe to the United States be surrendered to it before the planes take off. No wonder no one wants to fly to (or through) the United States.

And let’s not forget that this security theater extends to the private sector. The NFL, whose head of security is a former FBI bomb expert, pats down every fan before every game (except at Tampa Bay, where the ACLU has succeeded in having the searches suspended for now); the House of Blues frisks patrons at its 25-plus venues; CNN Studios in Atlanta performs airport-type security on unsuspecting tourists taking its studio tour; the Mets and Yankees baseball teams pat down their fans; rent-a-cops here outnumber real police by at least 2½-to-1.

Randy is only half right when he sez, “Actual body-counts are secondary to the goal of disrupting society and reducing democracy, but none of the folks in charge seem to get that yet.” The folks in charge do get it. The people who profit from protecting us from the boogeyman are the very ones who assess the “imminent danger.” Hence we have, for example, capricious airport security based on Jack Bauer liquid-bomb science, and an ever-growing security theater that requires more and more personnel to implement it.

Finally, to elaborate on Morkleb’s comment that a terrorist is going to “find a back door,” consider this: the best way to propagate this home-grown terror is to perpetrate an attack on a venue that has security. (Recall the 9/11 scenario.)

Leland says:

Andrew, I really like you and much of what you write.

But (You knew that “but” was coming when you read the first line, didn’t you?) why is it you never discuss work needed to undo the damage that President Carter did when he rolled over and played dead in all his Middle East policies? How about a mention of the damage President Clinton did in basically ignoring terroristic attacks on US interests around world? What about President Clinton’s refusal to take Osama and Company out on several occasions prior to Sept. 11th?

Normally, I remain quiet on your political views because, after all, this is your blog and it is primarily editorial in nature.

But come on Andrew, there is plenty of blame to go around. Under the circumstances and the transportability of several really hot biological agents (including an individual acting as a suicide biological bomber infected with a reinfecting agent) I can see some tightened restrictions.

It is getting very boring watching foreign citizens and governments whining about US policy and procedure. Of course they don’t care about what is in our national interest.

So foreign nationals are being inconvenienced while changing planes. Too bad, don’t change planes here. I wonder if it ever crossed their minds that those procedures protect the foreign travelers on those flights just as much as the domestic interest if not more so.

gnomic says:

As US citizen who is not any safer now than in 2001, I object to the stupid hassles that do not make me any safer and cost billions each year. I just got back from the UK and got to watch this stuipidity first hand. It doesn’t make us any safer and most poeple around the world just think we are stupid and scared.

Which is exactly true.

And exactly NONE of these TSA “safety” protocols prevent bombs or most other attacks. Want proof? You supply the plane and I’ll submit to all the protocols to get on the flight. Hope you enjoy your flight.

How does one entertain oneself when flying for 16 hours in one week? Find all the weaknesses in the system. I’m not goging to list them here, but I quit counting after the first dozen or so.

BTW, you left out Truman, who used the CIA to destablize the mideast governments so many years ago. Guess we should just give our government a pass on its ongoing terror campaign on Americans and its total lack of progress in making us safer.

If the government can’t provide socialized medicine, why don’t we question its total failure in socialized safety?

Gary Ansorge says:

I AM an American and I will not use air transport until this security mess is removed. The airlines can all go bankrupt for all I care.
We still have ships for international travel and the last I heard THEY were still being reasonable. For my daughters graduation next year, I’ll be taking the train to California from Georgia. Slow but much more reasonable.

GAry 7

Andrew says:

I’m with you, Gary. I took Amtrak from Roanoke to New York a few months ago. It was incredible. (And when I’m in Richmond it’ll be even easier.)

Yes, it was an eight-hour trip. But I didn’t feel like I was being watched by the Gestapo, the seats were big and comfy, my son and I could walk around and had plenty of room to draw and play, and the dining car was terrific.

We sat at dinner with some folks and I commented, “Why would anyone fly after they traveled like this?” The woman across from me just nodded. “I have no idea,” she said.

Air travel today combines the comfort of an overcrowded Greyhound bus, the convenience of the DMV, and the pleasure of a police interrogation.