Pre-screening

Pre✓ is the way forward. I've used it twice now and it's like a little bit of civilisation has returned to air travel.

Dear US,
Easiest way for you to live without fear of terrorism?

STOP behaving in ways that make (so many of) the world's people hate you!

What, no more strip-searching 80 year-old nuns and 2 year-olds?!!

This is a “blame the victim” racket designed to extort more money from the traveling people into an Orwellian bureaucracy. If Al-Qaeda were still a threat, they would attack a TSA line: easy, cheap, severely disruptive and with no viable countermeasures.

Fortunately Al-Qaeda is no more, but the security apparatus must pretend it still exists so as to keep being paid to harass the public.

For the past year TSA has insisted that everyone must be subjected to the same security procedures, whether a child, elderly grandmother or US Senator.

Now they are letting the privileged buy their way out of the program. TSA is saying that wealthy people are "more equal" than the rest of us. This smacks of racism and government extortion.

If you are “invited” you must pay a fee and give them your financial information even though TSA has lost the personal information of their employees and accidentally published their secret procedures. For this you MIGHT get expedited screening but could be selected for further screening anyway. What a bargain.

If someone can buy their way out of screening then this is all security theater that is gratuitously harassing passengers. Congress must demand that TSA adopt sensible and respectful procedures for everyone, not just the privileged.

Since 9/11 there is major trend in terror: Jihad.

The US State Department lists 120 groups as Terror sponsors, including antique non active groups like the IRA, Ulster Defense Group, Red Brigade, 17Nov, and the ANC. Most of these have been inactive for over a decade. However all the active and newest groups are militant Islam-- over 95%.

Scotland Yard divides Terror Organizations into Domestic and International. The International Groups number 45. All but three are Islamist.

The IRA renounced violence in the aftermath of 9/11. Basque separatist have severely curtailed their operations, occasionally setting off a firecracker in a parked car at an airport garage. They warn authorities since they don't want anyone hurt.

2% of the world population is schizophrenic. Only a small minority have a violent streak, but they do things like assassinations and shooting sprees that are NOT terror, much like the Belgian Algerian Drug dealer gunman, Nordine Amrani, who went on a rampage with grenades and shooting in Liege.

Famous schizoprhenic gunman include Mark Chapman( John Lennon), John Hinkley(President Reagan), and Tucson gunman Jared Lee Loughner( Rep. Gabriele Giffords) and Anders Behring Breivik(Norway rampage). These men are documented schizophrenics and are in custody in a mental asylum. You can visit them and play paddy-cake if you please--but they are CERTIFIABLY INSANE.

The mentally ill will always be with us. And are always statistical threats to themselves or others...but it is very low.

The difference between mentally ill killing sprees and Terrorism is the difference between a random murder and mafia killings.

Terror is using violence for political coercion. Trying to win converts. Overthrow a government. Establish a theocracy.

Terrorist perpetrators are no more 'mad' than the typical mafia conspirator. And they have an aim of Jihad to set the world on fire. Watch Ossama bin Ladin's video speeches.

The first rule of survival, is to realize an existential threat when you see it, whether you are a Muslim or not. No one wants to die a violent death and become pulverized into cat food chunks.

Ironically over 90% of Terror victims are Muslims. And Muslim Sectarian genocide in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Libya are ramping up Muslim deaths.

Not all Muslims are Terrorists.
But today, all Terrorists are Muslim.

The TSA automatically categorizes travelers as high risk needing additional screening from North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen.

Cuba and North Korea are included in the list but in reality are not risks since they do not allow their citizens to travel because of their risk of fleeing, not terrorism. Otherwise all these nations are Muslim or Arab or both.

Therefore simple common sense screening is racial profiling and targeting Muslims. It is the unsaid TSA Security policy endorsed by the Obama Administration. And in the absence of any hijacking or terror deaths since 9/11, it is remarkably effective.

If you were in charge of boarding 500 passengers with 1500 pieces of luggage in 45 minutes for an international flight and had only 10 agents, then you cannot inspect every cell phone or toothpaste tube. And you know there is a high probability of at least one bomber targeting this flight: You must to be selective and pragmatic. And realistic and effective. It is life and death.

But also the plane MUST leave on time. Passengers have to make connections. Equipment must get moving. Take off slots are small. But we cannot spend a year boarding a single flight.

Yes, we can ignore more than 95% of travelers and still be safe! Reality is what it is. Racial profiling for Risk Works. Everyone wants to fly safely and arrive intact. Even Muslims know this and they also do not want to become part of a victim list.

If your existential survival is on the line, demand effective and smart screening versus a 'fair and equal' search that preserves citizen rights. The first human right is that of not being killed violently.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/us/04webtsa.html?pagewanted=all