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I hate the TSA. But one thing to consider is it's effectively a jobs program, just like the US military. For better or worse these are people to whom we'd likel
by jghn 3y ago
I hate the TSA. But one thing to consider is it's effectively a jobs program, just like the US military. For better or worse these are people to whom we'd likely be funneling money in one fashion or another, at least the security theater makes it more palatable to the masses :shrug:
- Aloha 3y agoAlso the job still needs to be done, be it TSA or something else.
- WillPostForFood 3y agoFor better or worse these are people to whom we'd likely be funneling money in one fashion or another Not a fan of TSA, but the people working there seem like normal, employable people. If we got rid of TSA, ~20% could probably stay working security at the Airports, and the other 80% could move on to actual productive jobs, and instead of us funneling money to them they'd be generating money.
- jghn 3y agoIs that true though? Are there really that many jobs hanging around, in the areas in which these people live, paying an equal or better salary, for which these people are qualified? These aren't people who are going to stop working as a person standing around directing traffic and start coding distributed systems. EDIT: I'm assuming they're paid more than min wage, I'll admit I don't know.
- justsomehnguy 3y agoI'm lazy[0], so the first links: TSA (Transportation Security Administration) salaries: How much does TSA (Transportation Security Administration) pay? Popular Roles Transportation Officer $43,454 per year Transportation Specialist $76,443 per year Marshal $67,643 per year https://www.indeed.com/cmp/TSA-(transportation-Security-Administration)/salaries Also see https://www.tsacareer.com/tsa-pay-scale/ https://www.tsacareer.com/tsa-pay-scale/ [0] well, looks I'm a bit less lazier than you, heh
- bombcar 3y agoOnly thing I know of is that the people who couldn't qualify to be prison guards would go work at the TSA.
- bagels 3y agoSome of them are nice, normal, employable people. Some of them are angry fascists. Some of them are thieves. Some of them are rapists.
- bagels 3y agoGive them jobs fixing roads then.
- dragonwriter 3y ago> I hate the TSA. But one thing to consider is it’s effectively a jobs program How was transferring the security function from private industry to the federal government a jobs program? Its an airline-industry subsidy (and it was lobbied for by the industry for exactly that reason in the wake of 9/11), both by making the government responsible for the direct cost of the function and by the government absorbing (or, via sovereign immunity, eliminating) legal liability for both abuses in carrying the function out and failures resulting in harms to travelers and third parties.
- wk_end 3y agoWhen people say "dissolve the TSA", they don't mean: "I want all the security theatre, it's just that I want private industry to do it". They mean: "eliminate the security theatre, thus vastly decreasing the number of people employed to perform security theatre operations". It's a jobs program because all of theatre needs a huge number of bodies to perform the play.
- jghn 3y agoYes, exactly this. Further, its a jobs program because it allows for an easy vector to add *more* jobs by adding *more* theater and by and large the citizens are willing to accept it. Because who wants to argue against safety?
- Akronymus 3y agoArguably the TSA is actually reducing security by breaking locks on gun cases and such.
- toast0 3y agoThe existing security function was transferred, but the scope/intensity increased. What used to be two, maybe three people running a metal detector and an x-ray machine for parcels, is now probably ten people running a lot more equipment, a lot slower. I'm not convinced we need the intensity of inspection that we have, especially when passenger education in real time was enough to foil the targeting of the 4th plane, and locked cockpit doors and policy changes should foil hijackings without the participation of the pilots. It's a huge cost for a small benefit.
- DesiLurker 3y agowell then we should fund other jobs programs too like gas station attendants & lift button pushers.
- petsfed 3y agoThinking back on the negative experiences I've had with gas station attendants, suddenly the awful stories about the TSA makes a lot more sense.
- DesiLurker 3y agowell any job where you have some degree of security from being fired and in general somebody being forced to pay for outside of market forces will have negative experiences. so thats a separate problem in itself.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- mindslight 3y agoFix potholes? Pick up litter? Clean up subway stations and bus stops? Maintain trails? Education and youth programs? Learning new skills? Building benches, lean-tos, monuments, and other simple structures? Creating new national parks to cover the recent extreme demand? Planting flowers on the side of highways? Spelling out words for aerial photos? There are many better ways to productively create low skill jobs than hassling and molesting travelers while on a petty power trip.
- jghn 3y agoI agree with you. However for large swaths of the country's population people would interpret all of the above as "socialism" and they'd complain. In contrast "defend our people from evil terrorists", either via TSA or military, does not get the same scrutiny.
- mindslight 3y agoSure, that's called culture. It feeds into itself, and is essentially what we're critiquing. The proto-fascist culture where the only uses of government are domination and control shouldn't be encouraged.
- jghn 3y agoAgain, 100% agreed. But for someone wondering "why do we pay these people?", this is the answer.
- mindslight 3y agoYou're trying to make this weird middleground between normative and positive statements. In the positive sense, obviously a whole lot of suckers bought into nonsense about terrorists hiding under their beds. We know this is the unfortunate realpolitik dynamic. We don't need to infer unspoken motivations about jobs programs, because the straightforward narrative of security theater blanket is still carrying the day. In the normative sense, it's nonsensical to treat the broken culture of fear/domination as inevitable. That culture is wrong, regardless of how overwhelming it is.
- AYBABTME 3y agoThey could clean the streets instead, that'd be a better use of money and everyone's time.
- jghn 3y agoAs I've noted elsewhere in the thread, somehow "clean the streets" is considered to be "evil socialism" to half the country but "stand around looking bored by the security line" is not. And that's why it is the way it is.
- Alupis 3y ago> it's effectively a jobs program Then build roads, infrastructure, etc. Don't put a "jobs program" in charge of banning citizens from flying ever again, violating citizen's rights and more.
- justsomehnguy 3y ago> in charge of banning citizens from flying ever again, violating citizen's rights and more. You should speak the language people would understand. "in charge of banning citizens from ever seeing their beloved on the other side of the country, violating citizen's assess and genitals and more" That people understand
- flenserboy 3y ago& those are the people we force the rest of the populace to interact with? Perhaps not the best idea.
- MichaelDickens 3y agoI would much rather the government paid people money to dig ditches and fill them back in, or even just give them the money for free, rather than paying people to actively make others' lives worse.
- xenospn 3y agoI'm all for creating jobs for people who need them, but can they at least do that where they're not as bothersome and won't go through my luggage because I packed a gel sleep mask? every single time :/
- rurp 3y agoBut the "work" they do at the TSA wastes immense amounts of time and property, as well as causing untold amounts of stress on people who do actually productive things. Putting them to work planting trees or some other useful activity would be far better for everyone.
- nyc_data_geek1 3y agoWe could have jobs programs to green our economy, planet and lives, instead of glorified daycare for adults.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]