The assault on and of airline passengers in the USA continues....and will do so in other countries too as they introduce such absurd so-called security measures at airports.
Glenn Greenwald takes up the subject in his latest piece on Salon, and rightly concludes that governments have adopted the cry of "terrorism" to do almost anything to justify this or that - be it things like the x-ray body scans or full body searches at airports or the abrogation of civil rights.
"The public fury over the new TSA airport security measures intensified this week, with harrowing stories of a breast cancer survivor forced to show her prosthetic breast and a male passenger whose urostomy bag leaked urine all over him when it was roughly manhandled by airport agents during a "patdown." So what does the Federal Government do to address this growing public anger? That's easy: the playbook is well established:
This is the all-justifying, cure-all solution for every problem: government officials run to the nearest media outlet they can find and anonymously scream "TERRORISM." No evidence is needed; the anonymity precludes all accountability; fear levels are quickly ratcheted up; and everything the Government wants to do then becomes justifiable in its name. That's the frightened, authoritarian society we've allowed ourselves to become."
Interesting footnote: From The Raw Story:
"Multimillion dollar government contracts don't just happen. Ask the companies with the big government contracts to supply Body-scanning machines to U.S. airports how much more they had to spend on lobbying on the Hill. Not only have they increased their lobbying efforts over the last 5 years, they're doing it with some very familiar names.
USA Today reports that the companies with the biggest government contracts for body-scanners doubled their lobbying cash over the last five years, and advanced their agenda with lobbyists Linda Daschle, a former FAA official and wife of former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, and former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff."
Glenn Greenwald takes up the subject in his latest piece on Salon, and rightly concludes that governments have adopted the cry of "terrorism" to do almost anything to justify this or that - be it things like the x-ray body scans or full body searches at airports or the abrogation of civil rights.
"The public fury over the new TSA airport security measures intensified this week, with harrowing stories of a breast cancer survivor forced to show her prosthetic breast and a male passenger whose urostomy bag leaked urine all over him when it was roughly manhandled by airport agents during a "patdown." So what does the Federal Government do to address this growing public anger? That's easy: the playbook is well established:
White House: Terrorists Have Discussed Use of Prosthetics to Conceal Explosives
U.S. intelligence has picked up terrorists discussing the use of prosthetic or medical devices to conceal explosives, sources tell ABC News.
The revelation about the intelligence, which is not new but relevant to debate over new security measures at airports, comes as the White House today acknowledged that the implementation of the security procedures has not gone perfectly.
U.S. intelligence has picked up terrorists discussing the use of prosthetic or medical devices to conceal explosives, sources tell ABC News.
The revelation about the intelligence, which is not new but relevant to debate over new security measures at airports, comes as the White House today acknowledged that the implementation of the security procedures has not gone perfectly.
This is the all-justifying, cure-all solution for every problem: government officials run to the nearest media outlet they can find and anonymously scream "TERRORISM." No evidence is needed; the anonymity precludes all accountability; fear levels are quickly ratcheted up; and everything the Government wants to do then becomes justifiable in its name. That's the frightened, authoritarian society we've allowed ourselves to become."
Interesting footnote: From The Raw Story:
"Multimillion dollar government contracts don't just happen. Ask the companies with the big government contracts to supply Body-scanning machines to U.S. airports how much more they had to spend on lobbying on the Hill. Not only have they increased their lobbying efforts over the last 5 years, they're doing it with some very familiar names.
USA Today reports that the companies with the biggest government contracts for body-scanners doubled their lobbying cash over the last five years, and advanced their agenda with lobbyists Linda Daschle, a former FAA official and wife of former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, and former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff."
Comments