4 ms·

How about disbanding it as a waste of tax money, and as an unnecessary institution ill-suited to being part of a society dedicated to the idea of individual lib

by olefoo 16y ago

How about disbanding it as a waste of tax money, and as an unnecessary institution ill-suited to being part of a society dedicated to the idea of individual liberties?

brown9-2 16y ago
If the TSA is disbanded, then how do you suggest handling airport security? Who is in charge of it and who is responsible?
- jamesbritt 16y ago
  Airlines.
  - nodata 16y ago
    Airlines are the key. I bet you that if someone setup website offering reasons not to fly, along with alternatives to flying - along with a catchy domain - and publicised the hell out of it in stories like these, the pressure from the airlines would become so great that the TSA would be gone (in its current form) within a month.
- lhnn 16y ago
  US Marshals? Actual law enforcement, or some organization that has some standards for admittance?
- zcid 16y ago
  There was plenty sufficient airport security 10 years ago. The airlines and airports were perfectly capable of handling it then just as they are now.
  - gcv 16y ago
    Far be it from me to defend the TSA (its behavior and policies are outrageous), but your comment is simply wrong. Before September 11th, private companies handled airport security. After September 11th, airlines and airports were heavily criticized for relying on inadequately trained, low-paid employees for something as essential as security. Everyone in the world agreed that a federal agency must step in to do a better job, and the TSA is the result.
    - graywh 16y ago
      And now we criticize the TSA for using "inadequately trained, low-paid employees for something as essential as security."
    - redrobot5050 16y ago
      >After September 11th, airlines and airports were heavily criticized for relying on inadequately trained, low-paid employees for something as essential as security Pro-tip: The same poorly trained, low-paid employees are now federal TSA goons. >Everyone in the world agreed that a federal agency must step in to do a better job, and the TSA is the result. Clearly, everyone in the world was overreacting to 9/11, and made poor, rash decisions. I'm sure many libertarians felt that despite 9/11, they would feel much safer having airport security handled by airlines, and not a bureaucratic organization that has yet to catch any terrorists in the act, or foil any terrorist plots.
  - epo 16y ago
    That is simply nonsense, 10 years there was little practical security on domestic US flights. That was the soft underbelly that the 9/11 hijackers exploited. Security on international flights was also lacking compared to e.g. the UK. The TSA is a hysterical over-reaction.
    - zcid 16y ago
      The only true improvement I've seen are the reinforced cockpit doors. Everything else is just a smokescreen.
- CaptainZapp 16y ago
  Like everywhere else in the world? In a civilized manner, friendly respectful and efficient? Maybe by checks conducted by real professionals and not with the aim to have it as cheaply as possible and thus paying minimum wages to badly trained "agents" on a power trip? Maybe in a way where you're not blackmailed into going through a machine, which effects are very unproven and in whoms installation the former director of the TSA has a financial interest? (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/01/02/group_slams_chertoff_on_scanner_promotion/ http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/0...) ? Just a few bullet points for thought.
  - daniel-cussen 16y ago
    They're government workers; their salaries are probably not that bad.
- GrandMasterBirt 16y ago
  How about REAL security, like the Isreilies implemented? People get through the biggest of airports in 30 or so minutes, no invasive screenings, the worst you will get is a metal detector sweep and an xray of your belongings. Israel has good security, better than we have, for longer, with less tech, and no liberties violated, and people get through the airport faster. Wait, its cheaper too. Shit with all the cards stacked in their favor we look like idiots not at least modeling security after them. Sure we can improve on it, lets catch up first then 1-up em.
- epo 16y ago
  Look at the rest of the world, they've been doing airport security in a reasonably civilised manner since the Palestinians and Cubans started hijacking back in the 60s(?)
  - hga 16y ago
    The threat profile of "prevent a hijacking" and "prevent a bomb with no metallic content from bringing down a plane" are very different. I don't see how the TSA (as constituted, see below) can do the latter without the scanners ... it's how they're approaching this, most especially the deliberately punitive enhanced groping if you opt out or if the scanner can't image you properly that's one facet of the problem. At its base, by looking for weapons instead of terrorists ... well, we've decided that profiling is an ultimate evil and cannot be continenced. Unless we reverse that....

by olefoo 16y ago

How about disbanding it as a waste of tax money, and as an unnecessary institution ill-suited to being part of a society dedicated to the idea of individual liberties?

brown9-2 16y ago

If the TSA is disbanded, then how do you suggest handling airport security? Who is in charge of it and who is responsible?

jamesbritt 16y ago
Airlines.
- nodata 16y ago
  Airlines are the key. I bet you that if someone setup website offering reasons not to fly, along with alternatives to flying - along with a catchy domain - and publicised the hell out of it in stories like these, the pressure from the airlines would become so great that the TSA would be gone (in its current form) within a month.
lhnn 16y ago
US Marshals? Actual law enforcement, or some organization that has some standards for admittance?
zcid 16y ago
There was plenty sufficient airport security 10 years ago. The airlines and airports were perfectly capable of handling it then just as they are now.
- gcv 16y ago
  Far be it from me to defend the TSA (its behavior and policies are outrageous), but your comment is simply wrong. Before September 11th, private companies handled airport security. After September 11th, airlines and airports were heavily criticized for relying on inadequately trained, low-paid employees for something as essential as security. Everyone in the world agreed that a federal agency must step in to do a better job, and the TSA is the result.
  - graywh 16y ago
    And now we criticize the TSA for using "inadequately trained, low-paid employees for something as essential as security."
  - redrobot5050 16y ago
    >After September 11th, airlines and airports were heavily criticized for relying on inadequately trained, low-paid employees for something as essential as security Pro-tip: The same poorly trained, low-paid employees are now federal TSA goons. >Everyone in the world agreed that a federal agency must step in to do a better job, and the TSA is the result. Clearly, everyone in the world was overreacting to 9/11, and made poor, rash decisions. I'm sure many libertarians felt that despite 9/11, they would feel much safer having airport security handled by airlines, and not a bureaucratic organization that has yet to catch any terrorists in the act, or foil any terrorist plots.
- epo 16y ago
  That is simply nonsense, 10 years there was little practical security on domestic US flights. That was the soft underbelly that the 9/11 hijackers exploited. Security on international flights was also lacking compared to e.g. the UK. The TSA is a hysterical over-reaction.
  - zcid 16y ago
    The only true improvement I've seen are the reinforced cockpit doors. Everything else is just a smokescreen.
CaptainZapp 16y ago
Like everywhere else in the world? In a civilized manner, friendly respectful and efficient? Maybe by checks conducted by real professionals and not with the aim to have it as cheaply as possible and thus paying minimum wages to badly trained "agents" on a power trip? Maybe in a way where you're not blackmailed into going through a machine, which effects are very unproven and in whoms installation the former director of the TSA has a financial interest? (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/01/02/group_slams_chertoff_on_scanner_promotion/ http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/0...) ? Just a few bullet points for thought.
- daniel-cussen 16y ago
  They're government workers; their salaries are probably not that bad.
GrandMasterBirt 16y ago
How about REAL security, like the Isreilies implemented? People get through the biggest of airports in 30 or so minutes, no invasive screenings, the worst you will get is a metal detector sweep and an xray of your belongings. Israel has good security, better than we have, for longer, with less tech, and no liberties violated, and people get through the airport faster. Wait, its cheaper too. Shit with all the cards stacked in their favor we look like idiots not at least modeling security after them. Sure we can improve on it, lets catch up first then 1-up em.
epo 16y ago
Look at the rest of the world, they've been doing airport security in a reasonably civilised manner since the Palestinians and Cubans started hijacking back in the 60s(?)
- hga 16y ago
  The threat profile of "prevent a hijacking" and "prevent a bomb with no metallic content from bringing down a plane" are very different. I don't see how the TSA (as constituted, see below) can do the latter without the scanners ... it's how they're approaching this, most especially the deliberately punitive enhanced groping if you opt out or if the scanner can't image you properly that's one facet of the problem. At its base, by looking for weapons instead of terrorists ... well, we've decided that profiling is an ultimate evil and cannot be continenced. Unless we reverse that....