Terrorism Works

[Jeff Lebowski]

For proof, look no further than this latest episode of the failed plot to blow up a plane. Some idiot makes a bungled attempt to blow himself up we go into a frenzy. Suddenly we have massive changes in airport security and screening procedures, the mast majority of which will make no difference whatsoever and will simply be a pain in the ass to millions of travelers. We have politicians pointing fingers and placing blame. There will probably be a bunch of money dumped somewhere in response. The manner in which we respond disproportionately to this stuff is mind boggling.

[DU Ute]

For proof, look no further than this latest episode of the failed plot to blow up a plane. Some idiot makes a bungled attempt to blow himself up we go into a frenzy. Suddenly we have massive changes in airport security and screening procedures, the mast majority of which will make no difference whatsoever and will simply be a pain in the ass to millions of travelers. We have politicians pointing fingers and placing blame. There will probably be a bunch of money dumped somewhere in response. The manner in which we respond disproportionately to this stuff is mind boggling.

Bingo. And stuff like the video statman posted only makes the paranoia worse.

[JohnnyLingo]

Review time!

Terrorism: Anything we do in response to this threat is a result of paranoia.

Global warming: Anything we do in response to this threat is entirely logical and will save us all.

[Rosebud]

For proof, look no further than this latest episode of the failed plot to blow up a plane. Some idiot makes a bungled attempt to blow himself up we go into a frenzy. Suddenly we have massive changes in airport security and screening procedures, the mast majority of which will make no difference whatsoever and will simply be a pain in the ass to millions of travelers. We have politicians pointing fingers and placing blame. There will probably be a bunch of money dumped somewhere in response. The manner in which we respond disproportionately to this stuff is mind boggling.

Agreed. It's the science of fear. A pretty powerful way to control a society.....

[statman]

Bingo. And stuff like the video statman posted only makes the paranoia worse.

I'd say it justifies the paranoia. The stuff to make bombs is readily available, and it's not very hard to do. If someone is willing to blow themselves up, either making the stuff or in a glorious ball flame and twisted metal, both of which give you a ticket to Paradise and a dance card with 72 virgins, the government is simply unable to stop it from getting on planes.

But the system works. All is well...

[Rosebud]

I'd say it justifies the paranoia.

True too.... and one of the reasons why manipulating fear is so powerful.

[I.J. Reilly]

Every time I have to take off my shoes to get on an airplane I wish I had Richard Reid right in front of me so I could poke him in the eyes.

Reactionaries and scaremongers suck. The TSA is nothing if not reactionary and politicians maintain their job oftentimes by scaremongering. The TSA and politicians suck.

[Rosebud]

One time when I was moving my family across the country we had a cat that had just had five baby kittens. I packed the mom and babies into a little under-seat animal carrier. Going through security was hilarious. I actually had to take each teensy kitten out and walk it through individually. Any cat in an airport is volatile. A mother cat trying to protect five babies is incendiary. I was pretty lucky. I made it onto the airplane with all three children, six cats and nothing worse than a few flesh wounds.

[John McClain]

One time when I was moving my family across the country we had a cat that had just had five baby kittens. I packed the mom and babies into a little under-seat animal carrier. Going through security was hilarious. I actually had to take each teensy kitten out and walk it through individually. Any cat in an airport is volatile. A mother cat trying to protect five babies is incendiary. I was pretty lucky. I made it onto the airplane with all three children, six cats and nothing worse than a few flesh wounds.

But didn't you know that cats are known terrorists. At least I believe they are as they exhibit no compassion for anyone but themselves. They should all be imprisoned at Gitmo (and this is only partially TIC)

[Rosebud]

But didn't you know that cats are known terrorists. At least I believe they are as they exhibit no compassion for anyone but themselves. They should all be imprisoned at Gitmo (and this is only partially TIC)

I partially agree with your sentiments. Unfortunately, my children love them. I'll probably have kinder feelings towards them once I'm an empty nester. But right now...... grrr..... at least my kids take care of the cat themselves and at least it's one of the few gentle ones left on the planet.

[cowboy]

I'll be flying over 70,000 miles in 60+ segments this coming year, and I cringed when I read about the foiled bomber. Flying is going to be a royal poke in the rectum this year.

[Katy Lied]

Flying is going to be a royal poke in the rectum this year.

Just wear these on your flight:



They'll go really well with your cowboy chaps.

[falafel]

Just wear these on your flight:



They'll go really well with your cowboy chaps.

Hey, I remember those! They were worn by the really hardliner "granolas" at my high school. The posers just wore Birkenstocks.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Every time I have to take off my shoes to get on an airplane I wish I had Richard Reid right in front of me so I could poke him in the eyes.

Reactionaries and scaremongers suck. The TSA is nothing if not reactionary and politicians maintain their job oftentimes by scaremongering. The TSA and politicians suck.

Reactionaries indeed.

Stop and think for a minute how much money we have torched in the form of wasted time and effort* in airport screening and security alone. Then make a liberal guess at how many lives were saved. Suppose we invested that much of our capital in making our highways safer or preventing cancer or heart disease. It is insane.

*No Lingo, I am not arguing for zero security.

[statman]

Reactionaries indeed.

Stop and think for a minute how much money we have torched in the form of wasted time and effort* in airport screening and security alone. Then make a liberal guess at how many lives were saved. Suppose we invested that much of our capital in making our highways safer or preventing cancer or heart disease. It is insane.

*No Lingo, I am not arguing for zero security.

You have absolutely no way of knowing how many lives the extra security has saved. It doesn't take too many planes for it to be in the thousands.

Yes, they still find ways through, but when they get through now, it's with improvised devices that MIGHT work - we know how to find he good stuff on xrays.

It's cool to bitch about the inconvenience that you must suffer through, but the fact is, those procedures do save lives, inane as they may seem.