Election 2010: Teabaggin' the Ds & Rs

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

The execution seems to include a little trial-and-error -- policies that are announced and then hashed out over a little bit of time. This is hardly the first time anyone has complained about the TSA going overboard. Remember when no one was allowed to bring water on the plane? Eventually, that got worked out in a way that imposes relatively little hassle for (hopefully) substantially improved security.

The TSA has to balance privacy and security, plus other interests like cost. It has to do this in a context where the threats are shifting and evolving (as are the nature of privacy and cost concerns).

If anyone thinks that they could develop policies that score perfectly on both competing concerns, well, that's probably the same person who thinks that he can eliminate the deficit solely by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse.

It would be delightful if someone at the TSA were really trying to strike that balance, but what they do is security theater. Wasting people's time is a feature, not a bug, as it conveys the message that they are Doing Something, which is designed to cover asses if something happens.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

It would be delightful if someone at the TSA were really trying to strike that balance, but what they do is security theater. Wasting people's time is a feature, not a bug, as it conveys the message that they are Doing Something, which is designed to cover asses when something happens.

Fixed that for you

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

It would be delightful if someone at the TSA were really trying to strike that balance, but what they do is security theater. Wasting people's time is a feature, not a bug, as it conveys the message that they are Doing Something, which is designed to cover asses if something happens.

Well said. Absolutely no portion of airport security is done for security-related purposes. The entire system is a PR campaign. Whether it's full-body scans, metal detectors, x-raying bags, disallowing transport of liquids or matches.... why, it's all just political theater. Not one person in the TSA really cares about security.

You are generally above this kind of "The Government is just a bunch of evil incompetent thugs trying to waste our time and money" meme. What happened -- bad flight this weekend?

[Penske 2.0]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

Well said. Absolutely no portion of airport security is done for security-related purposes. The entire system is a PR campaign. Whether it's full-body scans, metal detectors, x-raying bags, disallowing transport of liquids or matches.... why, it's all just political theater. Not one person in the TSA really cares about security.

You are generally above this kind of "The Government is just a bunch of evil incompetent thugs trying to waste our time and money" meme. What happened -- bad flight this weekend?

I understood your point about distinguishing the policy makers from the enforcement folks on the ground, and it makes sense to me, to a point. the effect of the policy will ultimately be predicated on the ability of the enforcement folks to carry it out competently. they are the lab rats for trial and error, and, while I don't think most, if any, of the TSA officers on the ground are either evil and/or thuggish, I question the competency of most of them, whether it was competency to screen terrorists or competency to empty my wastebasket (and most, if not all, tasks in between).

there's no right or wrong here (at least I don't think that there is), I comfortable with the conclusion that we have different sensibilities and tolerance for the trial and error platform.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Penske 2.0

I understood your point about distinguishing the policy makers from the enforcement folks on the ground, and it makes sense to me, to a point. the effect of the policy will ultimately be predicated on the ability of the enforcement folks to carry it out competently. they are the lab rats for trial and error, and, while I don't think most, if any, of the TSA officers on the ground are either evil and/or thuggish, I question the competency of most of them, whether it was competency to screen terrorists or competency to empty my wastebasket (and most, if not all, tasks in between).

there's no right or wrong here (at least I don't think that there is), I comfortable with the conclusion that we have different sensibilities and tolerance for the trial and error platform.

The policymakers have adopted a policy of hiring people whose competency seems underwhelming. Compare that to our military, which really works on finding and training competent soldiers.

[Penske 2.0]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

Well said. Absolutely no portion of airport security is done for security-related purposes. The entire system is a PR campaign. Whether it's full-body scans, metal detectors, x-raying bags, disallowing transport of liquids or matches.... why, it's all just political theater. Not one person in the TSA really cares about security.

You are generally above this kind of "The Government is just a bunch of evil incompetent thugs trying to waste our time and money" meme. What happened -- bad flight this weekend?

Maybe he kicked the box wine habit and his head is clearing......