more on Rude TSA personnel; uneven liquids policies

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: October 16, 2006 12:59:31 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: lauren () vortex com
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Rude TSA personnel; uneven liquids policies


Dave,

If I didn't think it was beyond the strategic capabilities of these
folks, I'd start to suspect that this was all an elaborate experiment
to see just how much pushing around U.S. citizens will accept:

 -- forced to take off shoes and other embarrassing acts: OK
 -- no toothpaste: NOT OK
 -- only 3oz of toothpaste: OK
 -- nonsensical rules enforced with random and rude
    variations: largely OK
 -- brain-damaged no-fly list procedures: OK unless your name is
    David Nelson, etc.
 -- little or no demonstrable evidence that these procedures actually
    protect us from terrorists -- OK

Perhaps leading us to some open questions coming up:

 -- willingness to have their naked images revealed by
    "scatter" x-ray systems that see through clothing?
 -- willingness to have their body invasively x-rayed if
    terrorists begin hiding bombs within bodies?
 -- willingness to accept demands for identity papers and biometric
    identification at increasing numbers of venues?
 -- willingness to force some members of society to accept implanted
    ID chip transponders (starting with prisoners, child abusers,
    immigrants, etc., then perhaps expanding from there)

And so on.

Contrary to some opinions, I do not believe that we are *currently*
living in a police state in the U.S.

But police states aren't built in a day, either.

--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
Co-Founder, CIFIP
   - California Initiative For Internet Privacy - http://www.cifip.org
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





-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/