Originally Posted by Bart
Disagreed. TSA has no arrest authority. You are treated as a criminal only when you are arrested as one. As for reporting contraband to law enforcement, this has been an old argument in FlyerTalk; however, whether it is a federal screener or private screener, each is obligated to report these items to law enforcement. This is not an expansion of any police powers.
I agree with your comments in general. TSA has moved back to risk avoidance. But I do not see this as a shift towards evil; I see it as a bureaucratic response carried out in a very stupid manner.
I've seen real police states. We aren't there. However, I agree that there is certainly a danger of becoming one, and we need to exercise caution. Judicial review is still alive and well in spite of the rhetoric you read or choose to believe.
I suggest that you read the text of the Military Commissions Act of 2006. It explicitly states that executive branch determinations of who is and is not an enemy combatant are not subject to judicial review. While I think that provision will be struck down in the courts, the fact that such a bill actually passed is highly disturbing and indicative of a police state mentality.