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The most popular argument against the TSA that I have heard? They spend too much of their time searching the "wrong people". You know the kind that wouldn't "hu
by eshvk 13y ago
The most popular argument against the TSA that I have heard? They spend too much of their time searching the "wrong people". You know the kind that wouldn't "hurt a fly"? Weasel phrases that in essence mean that the TSA should do what Israel does. Racial profiling. Not that they don't do enough of it. At least on paper, they try to mess up that by searching white grandmas from the midwest and little blonde girls. Of course, the latter is what America complains the most about really.
- lukeqsee 13y agoI've heard the same arguments. Sadly, I have no good answer for how the TSA should do their job. However, treating someone rudely and, to an extent, inhumanly, doesn't fit the bill.
- seehafer 13y agoIsraeli-style random questioning in all airports, conducted by highly-trained experts (not rent-a-cops), in conjunction with profiling.
- tsax 13y agoProblem is affirmative action rentacops that the TSA has become. Israeli security personnel are highly trained, intelligent folks. The ethnic profile of such a TSA would be > 90% white. Cry racism, and there goes your competent force.
- seehafer 13y agoI'm not an expert, but I doubt if you pulled from FBI agents, CIA operatives, Special Forces, etc. that the ethnic profile would be > 90% white.
- tsax 13y agoCompetence in pattern detection is pretty much an IQ test. When you go higher on the scale, the number of non-whites, non-asians, and non-jews drops precipitously. I wouldn't bet my house on this prediction, but I would bet a few hundred $. For one, maybe the competence required is not that high. But you are surely wrong about Special Forces. They are overwhelmingly white. See here: http://e-ring.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/05/10/budget_watchdog_special_operations_forces_need_more_rosetta_stone_subscriptions_few http://e-ring.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/05/10/budget_watc...
- unhappyhippie 13y agoAs someone who has had a harrowing experience at an Israeli airport, I would dispute the claim that they are highly trained or even intelligent. I don't even want to recount my experience at Tel Aviv, its much milder than OP's but it spoils my mood just thinking about it.
- eshvk 13y agoThe point to realize that America is not fucking Israel. We are not under threat the way Israel is. That is a country that is struggling for its existence; in missile range from Iran; surrounded by hostile forces on all sides. In America, things are different. Sure the borders are porous; sure there is a low probability that the muslim guy down the street is a terrorist, sure there is a possibility that the war of 1812 could be repeated by the Canadians. However, is the country really going to live its life based on insignificant probabilities? It has been 12+ years since 9/11. Surely, there is a time limit after which this insanity can mellow down.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- pstuart 13y ago> Sadly, I have no good answer for how the TSA should do their job Shouldn't we be "profiling" based on assessed risk? And isn't the NSA making those assessments? It should be a simple as submitting the user's identity and circumstances and getting a guided response back: "no likely threat", "detain immediately", etc. Not that I'm a fan of the NSA, but isn't that what they are ostensibly there for?
- bayesianhorse 13y agoI admit, the TSA in this case didn't do racial profiling. They skipped that step, and went straight on to "rabid racism". That they apparently had no idea what a Hindu is doesn't make it one bit better.
- JshWright 13y agoDid you miss the fact that he triggered the explosive residue detector several times? As the article itself describes... when he skipped the pat-down (and therefore skipped the ERD), no one batted an eye at his race.
- ferdo 13y agoCorrection: they claimed he triggered the detector. It's not a wise course to take government employees at their word.
- JshWright 13y ago'They' also claim the contrails from airliners aren't spreading mind control agents...
- ferdo 13y agoI have proof and past experience with dishonest government employees. Please take your arguments for chemtrails elsewhere.
- JshWright 13y agoSure, but what you're talking about is widespread conspiracy to allow ERDs to be 'triggered' manually. I think that theory warrants about as much consideration as chemtrails.
- 67726e 13y agoHe never said they manually triggered an alarm. He said they could very well be lying that a detector was ever used let alone registered explosives.
- cenhyperion 13y agoYou're honestly advocating more racial profiling and propelling us towards the state of racism, hatred, and paranoia of Israel? Really?