Thursday, June 10, 2010

Americans Still Drinking the TSA’s Kool-Aid

Unless you’ve not traveled in the past several years, you’ve probably heard about the Transportation Security Administration’s new Virtual Strip-Search Machines (oops, TSA’s new full-body scanners).

The always-excellent The Middle Seat column in The Wall St. Journal yesterday discussed travelers’ reactions to the new full-body scanners. Several quotes in the article were deeply depressing and saddening.

1) “Public opinion polls show widespread acceptance in the U.S. of the technology, with many [people] saying tighter security outweighs inconvenience.”
The U.S. public actually thinks that this is about security?
2) “A small sampling at [Chicago’s] O’Hare [airport] last week showed broad support for the scanners.”
The U.S. public actually thinks that this is about security?
3) “‘If it’s for passenger protection, why not?’ said [traveler] Ann Pagel, on her way home from Houston.”
The U.S. public actually thinks that this is about security?

The article goes on to reiterate everything that’s already been said about the scanners – they’re optional (but you’ll get a full pat-down if you refuse); that the software “masks most of the particulars of a person’s body”; that they’re supposed to prevent a reoccurrence of the Underwear Bomber last Christmas.

The TSA was established in November 2001 by congress (which was effectively 50/50 Republican/Democrat at the time) and then-President George Bush. It is one of the largest federal bureaucracies, with an annual budget of $7 billion. We’d ask “Will it ever stop?” but we know the answer. No politician in America – of either party – would risk hampering the TSA and being accused of being “soft on terrorism.” As if the TSA really has anything to do with truly preventing U.S. or world terrorism.