The Laughing Wolf

Homeland Security, Yea, Right

I found this story over on Jerry Pournelle's site, and wish it had surprised me. Long before I began to blog, I expressed my opinion of transportation security, homeland security, and the like with the term "Bullfeathers." Okay, I may have put it in different words, but I am trying to keep this site fairly PG. To be honest, I have used the polite phrase "window dressing" and far less polite phrases as well.

Transportation security is mostly window dressing. By putting passengers through a process designed more to show that "something is being done" than anything else, a mental sop is created. What makes this a sop is that it is not random. The PC crowd and The Media have guaranteed that anyone who is remotely Middle Eastern is not touched for fear of lawsuits and tons of bad news coverage over the flagrant violation of their rights based solely on ethnicity. Nevermind that the people who did all the bad things on 9-11 were Arabic males of a certain age and other common characteristics; never mind that there are females that now fall into this same category; never mind that there are a number of other factors that can and will give a good indication of whom to search and/or detain. That would never do, as all profiling is e-ville.

Instead, we harass 90-year-old grandmothers, we make student athletes disrobe and remove artificial limbs in public for no good reason, we do things in an intrusive manner rather than in an effective manner because it shows that something is being done. Even if that which is being done is idiotic.

Anyone who cares to carefully go back and review everything that has come out on 9-11, from early coverage on, will note one critical detail: No one has ever said that all the box cutters and reported explosive devices (Yes, check the reports, at least one group of terrorists did claim to have a device) came through passenger security. In fact, it is pretty well acknowledged that they did not do so, that many believe they were planted by people who serviced the planes. This is one reason why flight crews have searched planes after servicing and before boarding ever sense. It is not 100 percent, but it is still being done.

Now, these service people are now being checked out and such, but it is a slow process. It did not happen nearly as early as it should. It is still, in my opinion, not all it could or should be thanks to the guardians of PC.

What we have now is a brand new bureaucracy. One that is concentrating on window dressing rather than what is effective. The new and the old have got the old mentalities, the 9-5 syndrome, and power that they wield when it suits them. We could have had so much more.

In response to 9-11, suggestion lines were set up and they got good business. Most of the suggestions appear to have been file 13'd. I know mine was, and it was a way to quickly and easily surge the number of armed travelers to augment the air marshalls. Every day, thousands of people travel on government business. Many of these are former military, security police, etc. Why not put together a program like the MP and SP augmenters and qualify them to carry on flights? They are already trained in basics, and you could do a quick course on law and use of force, and train them for air travel. Great increase in security at low cost, using already available resources. This went in both officially and unofficially, and was met with deafening silence. Despite being effective, doable, etc., politics ruled the day. Nor is mine the only such story.

There are means and methods to do effective security without tearing up the Constitution and without compromising individual liberty. Fear the bureaucracy. Fear the so-called Patriot Act. For crying out loud, you really need to take a look at the Patriot Act II and be really scared. What will all this get you? Ineffective and inefficient operations, and the death of individual liberty.

Benjamin Franklin made a good quote about those who would give up freedom for the illusion of security. The illusion of security is indeed what we have, and individual freedom and liberty is under strong attack. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

But do not let fear paralyze you. You can act and you can make a difference. Let your elected officials know how you feel and hold them accountable for their actions. We are the government, We, The People. Remember that, and do accordingly.

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