Doctorow On TSA: The Proof Is In The Lack Of Grand Jury Indictments
Boing Boing's Cory Doctorow makes exactly the right point about the bullshit, rights-violating "security theater" that is the TSA and its legion of repurposed hamburger clerks searching our bags, frying American commercial airplane travelers in porno scanners, and groping our genitals.
Regarding the TSA's new Instagram account where they brag about all the "dangerous items" they, as Doctorow puts it, "steal confiscate from air travelers," the message is clear: they're keeping us safe from danger in flight.
But Doctorow notes:
What they don't show is all the grand-jury indictments for conspiracy to commit air terrorism that they secured after catching people with these items -- even the people who were packing guns.
That's because no one -- not the TSA, not the DAs, not the DHS -- believe that anyone who tries to board a plane with a dangerous item is actually planning on doing anything bad with them. After all, as New York State chief judge Sol Wachtler said (quoting Tom Wolfe), "a grand jury would 'indict a ham sandwich,' if that's what you wanted." So if there was any question about someone thinking of hurting a plane, you'd expect to see indictments.
This is analoguous to Bruce Schneier's comment about the No Fly List - a list of people so awesomely dangerous that they cannot be allowed to fly, yet against whom there is not enough evidence to justify a Terry stop.
llater,
llamas
llamas at July 3, 2013 12:44 PM
I think the TSA is just another organization designed to create jobs for those with few opportunities (i.e., ex-cons, criminal conspirators, rapists and pornographers), masquerading as a "good for the people" organization. And yeah, if they are doing such good, where are all the indictments and prosecutions from their efforts... the police are able to get them, why not the TSA?
Lee Ladisky at July 3, 2013 1:00 PM
It's not just that, Lee. The TSA exists to show us how much the government CARES about our safety!
Sosij at July 3, 2013 5:27 PM
The TSA exists to turn people into sheeple.
The want you to quietly give up your Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights for your right to travel.
Jim P. at July 3, 2013 6:07 PM
This makes sense. As I've pointed out before, all the items confiscated from passengers today flew on airliners for that past 60 years and more.
No.
TSA is not protecting you by confiscating your Coke™.
Radwaste at July 3, 2013 8:48 PM
Had they bothered to enforce our immigration laws, there would have been no 9/11, and hence no TSA. Anyone who believes the cure for government failure is more government is beyond my understanding.
MarkD at July 4, 2013 4:51 AM
Leave a comment