Lawmakers Threaten TSA with Private Screeners
Jan 18, 2014, 3:29 pm
#61
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Knew what? That the TSA is even more useless than we could ever imagine? I'm sure you're counting all of the nail clippers and bottled water taken away as "Thwarting terrorist plots". If the TSA actually caught a true terrorist John Pistole would be on every new channel dancing a jig and demanding billions in new funding as a reward.
Jan 18, 2014, 3:39 pm
#62
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http://digwithin.net/2013/10/16/nsa-spying-and-lying/
Earlier this month, National Security Agency (NSA) head Keith Alexander admitted that he had lied to the U.S. Congress and the American people in an attempt to justify the NSA’s growing surveillance of U.S. citizens. In June, while attempting to defend the secret NSA programs revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden, Alexander claimed that over 50 terrorist plots had been thwarted though collection of the phone and internet records of American citizens. Alexander said that his agency had provided Congress with 54 specific cases in which the programs helped disrupt terror plots in the U.S. and around the world.
...
None of that was true as we found out a few weeks ago. Of the 54 alleged plots, only one or two were identified as a result of bulk phone record collection, according to Alexander’s most recent comments. That number has since been whittled down to just one incident that wasn’t a terrorist plot at all but was a case of a cab driver sending cash to an alleged terrorist organization. Bottom line ― the NSA spying on Americans has not stopped any terrorist plots, let alone dozens or 54.
...
None of that was true as we found out a few weeks ago. Of the 54 alleged plots, only one or two were identified as a result of bulk phone record collection, according to Alexander’s most recent comments. That number has since been whittled down to just one incident that wasn’t a terrorist plot at all but was a case of a cab driver sending cash to an alleged terrorist organization. Bottom line ― the NSA spying on Americans has not stopped any terrorist plots, let alone dozens or 54.
Let's face it - hiring people who've washed out from every other walk of life, including ex-military, ex-priest, ex-teacher, ex-what-have-you, and GED-bearing high-school drop-outs via ads on pizza boxes and gas pumps is a surefire way to insure that you've got the dregs of society on the payroll. Such "employees" won't question orders, because they know that if they're fired for insubordination they have literally nowhere else to go.
The "TSA Blog" constantly touts their "good finds" of various objects - none of which would have made it through a pre-9/11 metal detector - in an effort to make it look like they're actually relevant. If you read carefully, however, their efforts really are pathetic.
Jan 18, 2014, 3:44 pm
#63
Join Date: Jan 2010
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...unless their budgets and methods are questioned, in which case they just lie about their "operations" and "numbers," just like the TSA does.
http://digwithin.net/2013/10/16/nsa-spying-and-lying/
The bottom line is that the TSA is no more effective than the pre-9/11 private screeners - and one of the reasons is that many of the pre-9/11 screeners were immediately hired by the TSA.
Let's face it - hiring people who've washed out from every other walk of life, including ex-military, ex-priest, ex-teacher, ex-what-have-you, and GED-bearing high-school drop-outs via ads on pizza boxes and gas pumps is a surefire way to insure that you've got the dregs of society on the payroll. Such "employees" won't question orders, because they know that if they're fired for insubordination they have literally nowhere else to go.
The "TSA Blog" constantly touts their "good finds" of various objects - none of which would have made it through a pre-9/11 metal detector - in an effort to make it look like they're actually relevant. If you read carefully, however, their efforts really are pathetic.
http://digwithin.net/2013/10/16/nsa-spying-and-lying/
The bottom line is that the TSA is no more effective than the pre-9/11 private screeners - and one of the reasons is that many of the pre-9/11 screeners were immediately hired by the TSA.
Let's face it - hiring people who've washed out from every other walk of life, including ex-military, ex-priest, ex-teacher, ex-what-have-you, and GED-bearing high-school drop-outs via ads on pizza boxes and gas pumps is a surefire way to insure that you've got the dregs of society on the payroll. Such "employees" won't question orders, because they know that if they're fired for insubordination they have literally nowhere else to go.
The "TSA Blog" constantly touts their "good finds" of various objects - none of which would have made it through a pre-9/11 metal detector - in an effort to make it look like they're actually relevant. If you read carefully, however, their efforts really are pathetic.
I really hate TSA just as much as anyone else, but bashing them and saying they don't help the safety of the general public, I cannot agree with that. We need to find better and more efficient ways to screen pax.
Jan 18, 2014, 4:29 pm
#64
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Do you think the terrorists on Sept 11th, would have been able to carry their weapons onboard a flight today?
I really hate TSA just as much as anyone else, but bashing them and saying they don't help the safety of the general public, I cannot agree with that. We need to find better and more efficient ways to screen pax.
I really hate TSA just as much as anyone else, but bashing them and saying they don't help the safety of the general public, I cannot agree with that. We need to find better and more efficient ways to screen pax.
They were able to take control of those aircraft because of airline policies in force at the time, not because of the level of gate security.
Perpetrating the lie that TSA would have prevented 9/11 is simply disgusting.
Jan 18, 2014, 4:29 pm
#65
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 471
Hmmmm, lets see. If the TSA truly caught a terrorist at a check point or the secured area then they would have to have called the police, as TSOs do not have arrest authority. If it was TSA police that would be a different story. In either case, those arrested would have been booked, held for a preliminary hearing, if the evidence was sufficient then they would have been held for trial, then there would be a trial... See where this is going? Unless the TSA secretly captures terrorists and ships them off to Gitmo with no paper trial or media ever finding out about it then I think it is say to say that they've never actually caught anyone in the act.
Jan 18, 2014, 6:21 pm
#66
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Do you think the terrorists on Sept 11th, would have been able to carry their weapons onboard a flight today?
I really hate TSA just as much as anyone else, but bashing them and saying they don't help the safety of the general public, I cannot agree with that. We need to find better and more efficient ways to screen pax.
I really hate TSA just as much as anyone else, but bashing them and saying they don't help the safety of the general public, I cannot agree with that. We need to find better and more efficient ways to screen pax.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20023820-71.html
Barring locked cockpits and the passengers and flight crew knowing that cooperation is not an option, NOT A SINGLE THING THE TSA DOES improves actual security over pre-9/11 conditions.
They carried out the four hijackings with box-cutters and multi-tools. Today, they'd just do it with knitting needles - which, by the way, can actually do a lot more damage than the little tiny knives originally used.
The notion that the TSA and its slack-jawed lackwits are an "improvement" over Argenbright is ridiculous on its face.
Jan 18, 2014, 6:22 pm
#67
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Jan 18, 2014, 6:26 pm
#68
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When did I ever say that?! What I said was I don't think the terrorists would have been able to carry their weapons onto the plane with todays security checkpoints in place. What's disgusting is twisting someone words like that.
Jan 18, 2014, 6:29 pm
#69
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I agree. Where there is a will, there is a way. But I think its definitely harder to hijack a plane today than pre 9/11, TSA or no TSA. And we are not even touching on the fact we will never know how many, if any, terrorist plots were stopped just by the fact that there IS screening to begin with.
Jan 18, 2014, 6:40 pm
#70
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What prevents a repeat of that event is not TSA, but changes in airline policy.
I agree. Where there is a will, there is a way. But I think its definitely harder to hijack a plane today than pre 9/11, TSA or no TSA. And we are not even touching on the fact we will never know how many, if any, terrorist plots were stopped just by the fact that there IS screening to begin with.
TSA is a useless entity, period.
Jan 18, 2014, 8:07 pm
#71
Join Date: Jun 2012
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Jan 18, 2014, 8:18 pm
#72
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 729
But how do you KNOW that TSA has increased safety? The federal government has not provided any data and statistics that would allow the public to ascertain and verify TSA's performance. Even members of Congress have not received reliable information about homeland security activities, if Clapper lying to Congress is an indication of how adequate the oversight mechanisms have been.
Jan 18, 2014, 8:20 pm
#73
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What you are saying is that TSA would have been able to stop 9/11. And that is simply a lie.
What prevents a repeat of that event is not TSA, but changes in airline policy.
The level of screening in place in 2001 had nothing to do with those hijackings. It was airline policy that facilitated the hijackings, not the gate security in place at that time.
TSA is a useless entity, period.
What prevents a repeat of that event is not TSA, but changes in airline policy.
The level of screening in place in 2001 had nothing to do with those hijackings. It was airline policy that facilitated the hijackings, not the gate security in place at that time.
TSA is a useless entity, period.
I think you need to take a look at what I am actually writing, which I think would prevent you from calling me a liar. For the second time, I never said TSA could have prevented the attacks. What I said was that they most likely would have confiscated the weapons that were used, as box cutters are not allowed on planes post 9/11.
As to TSA being useless, I mostly agree with you. Although according to a recent Gallup poll, among Americans who have flown at least once in the past year, 57% have an excellent or good opinion of the agency.
And before you go on the attack again, 57% could indeed be wrong!
Jan 18, 2014, 8:32 pm
#74
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But how do you KNOW that TSA has increased safety? The federal government has not provided any data and statistics that would allow the public to ascertain and verify TSA's performance. Even members of Congress have not received reliable information about homeland security activities, if Clapper lying to Congress is an indication of how adequate the oversight mechanisms have been.
Jan 18, 2014, 9:16 pm
#75
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For someone who likes to educate others on logic and facts...
In your last sentence you are finally getting to my point... but not before you had to call me delusional.
Does CIA boost about their operations? Almost never. NSA? Never. Homeland Security? Rarely. Where are your facts that TSA would boost about their operations? You know the facts you claim like so much.
I dislike TSA's way of operating as much as the next guy, but to go around saying they never improved safety in the air, is just silly, and I am glad you finally realized that during your last sentence, that we would never know for sure.
In your last sentence you are finally getting to my point... but not before you had to call me delusional.
Does CIA boost about their operations? Almost never. NSA? Never. Homeland Security? Rarely. Where are your facts that TSA would boost about their operations? You know the facts you claim like so much.
I dislike TSA's way of operating as much as the next guy, but to go around saying they never improved safety in the air, is just silly, and I am glad you finally realized that during your last sentence, that we would never know for sure.
Prove it.
Or even show something, anything, anything at all, that even remotely, just a little bit, indicates that it has actually happened.
Yeah, I am aware that it is theoretically possible for it to have happened. Yeah, I am aware that it's not impossible for it to have happened.
But it hasn't.
Prove me wrong.
Or even, cast any doubt, no matter how small, no matter how slight, no matter how ridiculously miniscule.
But you can't. Because it simply hasn't happened. Ever. Not even once. Not even a little. Not even partially. Not even close.
And any assertion to the contrary is completely without merit.