furiousg

I’m sure a lot of people have been traveling this season, so I just want to reiterate how stupid TSA is. It’s such a waste of time and money to be checking for things that have less chance of happening and causing harm than nearly anything else. I’ve accidentally brought on board so much contraband, it’s silly. It’s even more silly that the nail clipper or extra-large tube of toothpaste I manage to bring in my carry-on luggage is even considered dangerous. I just think about the billions of dollars in productivity we’re probably losing, not to mention plain old frustration and generated ill-will, from standing in line and being humiliated one-by-one, and ask is it really worth it? How many attacks has TSA actually stopped? Every now and then I find articles stating that most airports, when tested by undercover agents, have a very very poor chance of catching a determined fake terrorist. What good is all this then?

Anyway, here’s a great editorial on the subject: The Airport Security Follies

How we got to this point is an interesting study in reactionary politics, fear-mongering and a disconcerting willingness of the American public to accept almost anything in the name of “security.” Conned and frightened, our nation demands not actual security, but security spectacle. And although a reasonable percentage of passengers, along with most security experts, would concur such theater serves no useful purpose, there has been surprisingly little outrage. In that regard, maybe we’ve gotten exactly the system we deserve.