more on NYC to search transit riders' bags -- but ...

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Russell Nelson <nelson () crynwr com>
Date: July 24, 2005 12:39:17 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: "Eklund, Neil H (Research)" <eklund () crd ge com>, Lauren Weinstein  
<lauren () vortex com>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on NYC to search transit riders' bags -- but ...


> From: "Eklund, Neil H (Research)" <eklund () crd ge com>
> From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>


> You can't blame authorities for trying.

Yes, I can.  They know that what they are doing is a senseless waste
of taxpayer dollars.  Being terrified by terrorism is *exactly* and
*precisely* the goal of terrorism.  It is clear to anybody with two
brain cells to rub together that individuals have substantial ability
to kill many other individuals.  It is clear to anybody with three
brain cells to rub together that if you stop them from doing one
thing, they will move on to do another.

How do you stop terrorism?

By not being terrified.  By not overreacting.  By not giving up
essential liberties to obtain a little temporary safety.  By not
wasting treasure on useless tactics.

We are a country which kills 20,000 of its own citizens yearly with
guns, and we don't ban guns.  We are a country which kill 50,000 of
its own citizens yearly with cars, and we don't ban cars.  Heck,
30,000 US citizens kill themselves each year *on purpose*.

If terrorists came to America and killed 1,000 people a year, it
wouldn't even *begin* to show up on the causes of death.  We can
safely ignore terrorism.  Rational public policy would have put the
money spent combatting terrorism into something more sensible, like a
billion for energy research, another billion for alternative energy
subsidization, another billion for mixed-mode transportation
(e.g. http://www.ruf.dk).

--
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rulers
Crynwr sells support for free software  | PGPok | are older versions  
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521 Pleasant Valley Rd. | +1 315-323-1241       | popular kids from high
Potsdam, NY 13676-3213  |                       | school.  --Bryan  
Caplan


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