Originally Posted by
cbn42
My main philosophical objection is that Precheck is designed to silence the critics of intrusive search techniques like body scanners. By giving frequent fliers (and anyone else willing to pay) an exemption, the TSA is able to minimize criticism. There used to be lots more criticism of AIT on Flyertalk before Precheck was implemented. Since it rolled out, opt-outs have declined and media coverage has declined because the most vocal opponents have been given a pass.
I, for one, will never pay for Precheck. If they give it to me, great. But I am not going to hand over money to avoid being groped.
Yep -- this was the TSA's objective all along and it has worked like a charm. I've written before that Precheck is no different than the Communist system of privileges. They doled them out as necessary to instill loyalty to the government and the fear of it, because the people lived with the fear that the government could withdraw those privileges at any time for any reason. Living in fear of the government is a good thing -- if you're the government.