TSA and Fear

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: September 27, 2006 10:30:35 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: lauren () vortex com
Subject: TSA and Fear


Dave,

The TSA-related behavior at the front lines should hardly be
a surprise.  It's hard even to really fault those field agents.
Such behavior almost always flows from the top, and it's clear that
the administration has fostered a climate of fear that has been
indoctrinated into the powers-that-be at TSA and all the way down
through the organizational chart.

I'm not talking so much about fear of terrorists, but rather fear of
losing their jobs if they let one perceived "unusual" case through
that turned out to be a problem later (or, more likely, a test case
to make sure that the bizarre interpretations of law being
promulgated are rigorously enforced).  Shucks, that "free speech"
stuff is always getting in the way, isn't it?

But gosh Mr. Peabody, what else would you expect from a TSA that
forced its "undercover" operatives to dress like they were attending
a funeral, and an administration that makes a big deal out of
releasing portions of an NIE with top-secret analytical gems
amounting to "the war in Iraq has inspired terrorists" (duh), and
"terrorists will make increased use of the Internet" (double-duh).

As the old saying goes, "What goes around, comes around."

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
   - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com




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