TSA Airport Security: Keeping our skies safe (but nothing else)

The new choice facing many Americans between starring in a short porn or being molested by a stranger at our nation's airports has recently received heavy coverage by the news media.  With impeccable timing, the issue of the scanners and pat downs exploded just as the Holiday travel season kicked off.  Now, this isn't going to be the typical rant about the scans and pat downs being a violation of my rights, an invasion of my privacy, or whatever.  While I do agree with the popular sentiment of calling the TSA checkpoints "security theater," being that which only makes us feel more secure, while in reality doing little to nothing to actually improve our safety in the skies, I have no qualms with the scans or pat downs.  I don't like them, but I don't really care either.  I just think the entire spectacle is useless.  How many scissors, shampoo bottles, and ink cartridges will have to be taken before we're officially safe?  How many millions of Americans will be treated as potential terrorists and scanned before we realize that this is a waste of time, money, and energy to everybody involved.  How long will this expensive, unsustainable, and time consuming screening process go on before our skies are secure?  Anyways, all that aside, my real issue with the TSA checkpoints is twofold, involving both the human cost of the war, and the morale cost of the war.

Just to get this out of the way, I'll make this first point quick.  These TSA checkpoints and the outrage over them are victories for the terrorist enemies we face.  The point of terrorism, after all, is to instill fear and hopefully change the lifestyle of the enemy.  They've succeeded at both.  And on to my real point...

A thought occurred to me while watching the daily outrage factory that is our 24 hour news cycle.  In a well timed attempt to gin up outrage at whatever target is currently convenient, these TSA stories started popping up, including the funny "Don't touch my junk" guy, the ridiculous supposed cancer risk of the scanners, and the disturbing revelation of a conflict of interest lobbying conspiracy tying former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff with the company that manufactures the x-ray scanners purchased by the TSA.  The media circus tossed these ideas around in an attempt to create some pre-Thanksgiving travel hysteria in their ongoing attempt to keep the ratings up and the revenues coming in.  While the talking heads chewed their cud, I noticed the video clips of the TSA checkpoints, long lines, pat downs, and scans, and a thought came to me that has me very worried.  Not only are these TSA screenings ineffective "security theater," but... here, see for yourself:

What do you see here?  Maybe you think a lot of annoyed people, hundreds of collective wasted hours, bored and cranky children, or a hassle to be put up with and hope is over quickly.  I see two hundred and forty nine (249) people; I counted them (not including people behind obstructions just to avoid possible criticism).  More than the capacity of a DC-10, one of the very targets we so very diligently screen every passenger to protect.  Why would a terrorist risk passing through a security checkpoint to blow up a plane when he can just wander into the conveniently created bottleneck at the TSA checkpoint and detonate a backpack bomb.  Imagine the death toll of a coordinated attack on multiple TSA checkpoints across the country in a high travel period.  Even worse, imagine how easy that would be to pull off.  No scans or screening before the checkpoint, so even the simplest bomb can be used without worrying about hiding it in your shoe or skivvies.  Which would be worse; one destroyed aircraft, or a coordinated series of attacks destroying airports across the country, severely crippling our entire air traffic network.

This thought really scares me.  Terrorists proudly claim responsibility for attacks that kill dozens, and there are hundreds of people crowded in the above image.  Multiply that by hundreds of busy airports across the country, and we could be talking about tens of thousands of potential casualties should an organized attack be carried out, and I can only imagine that these checkpoints are seen as tempting target for a terrorist bomber.  I realize the need to take precautions, and the last thing I want is another terrorist attack on our airlines, but we really need to look at the situation at hand and take real steps to ensure our safety, instead of attempting to portray an illusion of safety.

An open letter to Local Chambers of Commerce

Here is a letter I just sent to my local Chamber of Commerce, which unfortunately is a member of the US Chamber.  Find out if your local chamber is a member of the US Chamber, and if they are send them this letter (or write your own like it).  Local businesses are precious to all of us; they form the cornerstone of our economy, employing more Americans than any of the mega-corporations out there.  If your local Chamber is a stand alone organization unaffiliated with the US Chamber, send them a quick message thanking them for supporting and protecting the local businesses, which are crucial to the strength and success of our great nation's economy and our future.

To whom it may concern,

I urge you to separate yourself from the US Chamber of Commerce, an association of which you seem proud enough to declare on the home page of this website.  The US Chamber of Commerce is a political organization, not a business organization.  As an employee of a local company which is a member of your organization, I feel that membership dues from my employer paid for by my hard work should not be going to fund attack advertisements against liberals, progressives, and those who seek to expand protections to the lower and middle classes, minorities, and small businesses.  The US Chamber of Commerce is a group ran and mostly funded by an elite group of super rich businessmen, with the sole goal of shaping US legislation in such a way as to maximize their personal profits at the expense of, well, everyone else.

Your goal, as a local chamber of commerce is to support and protect LOCAL businesses, not the mega-millions multinational corporations at the helm of the US Chamber of Commerce.  The US Chamber works towards goals in direct conflict with your own; including outsourcing, lowering wages and employee benefits, and the expansion their of mega corporations to near monopolistic proportions, destroying opportunities for new entrepreneurship and innovation in our local economy, and throughout the country.

I ask that you please send a message to the US Chamber of Commerce by disassociating yourselves from them.  The message they need to be sent is that we will no longer let them destroy American jobs, American businesses, and American lives.  The key to our economic recovery is small businesses, Mom and Pop shops being able to hire just 5 new employees, and guaranteeing that employees make enough money to contribute to the economy in a positive fashion.  If the US Chamber of Commerce were to have its way, every job would be sent overseas resulting in billions of dollars of profits to their corporate benefactors, which leads to more money in their pockets.

Please, put no more money in their pockets.  You represent local businesses, the little man, the weak, struggling entrepreneurs who only wish to succeed.  Not the billionaires who are trying to ruin our country for their own personal gains.

http://www.seattlechamber.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,2952&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&p_news_id=16515&p_news_current=

Here is a wonderful example of what I would like to see from you, what I would love to see from every local Chamber of Commerce in America.

Support America.  Support our economy.  Support freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Do NOT support the US Chamber of Commerce.

Sincerely,

(Your name here)

I had a great time at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. So why do I feel disappointed?

(tl;dr - so much left unsaid, so much time was wasted on unnecessary segments, and a huge opportunity for America's future was missed)

I had a great time at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.  I really enjoyed the music, laughed at the comedy, and enjoyed the satirical commentary on the political news media.  I am glad that I was a part of such a huge event that brought together so many people from across this country, from so many different walks of life united in the common belief that there can be a saner, more intelligent, more rational America. I agreed with the message, believed in the cause, and will never forget the experience.  So why do I feel disappointed?

As much as I enjoyed the rally, I feel like there was so much left that was unsaid.  This rally had the potential to be a pivotal moment in American history.  I was lost in a sea of people stretching further than the eye can see, a wave through the audience traveled the entire length of the Washington Mall!  Hundreds of thousands of Americans came together in support of a saner America.  An America that embraces compromise, civility, and respectful discourse.  Of course, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert delivered that message, as advertised.  Sadly, the message consisted of a few jokes from the hosts, some media satire from the Daily Show correspondents, and about fifteen minutes of serious talk at the end.  Sure, some of the music was politically motivated, and yeah, there was maybe some subtext here and there.  Sadly it was not enough.  In the end, I left feeling let down.  So much anticipation, so much hope.  So many things I wanted to hear said, wanted to know that there were others that believe the things I believe, as passionately as I do. Instead, I was treated to a three hour long media synergy event coordinated by Viacom.

Why so much music?  I love The Roots.  I've seen them live twice, and they put on a hell of a show.  John Legend's pretty good, not my favorite, but I could dig it.  They took up about 45 minutes.  They each should have had one, maybe two, songs.  Fifteen to twenty minutes, tops.  The sound wasn't that great, it was hard to see the screens, and the message was lost.  Kid Rock's song was actually really good, I liked it quite a bit and think it really resonated with the message and theme of the event.  Sheryl Crow was a compete waste of time and had no business there.  The Tweedy/Staples duet was a yawn: I could hardly hear the guitar at all, and the performance was no different to me than what I saw on Colbert's show earlier in the fall.  I absolutely loved seeing Yusuf Islam.  That was an amazing moment, realizing that it was really him coming out on stage.  So why the hell did they pick HIS SONG to be the one to F*%# WITH!?  Send Ozzy's ass back to LA, and as much as I appreciate the Ojays, I would have rather felt Yusuf's message spread through the crowd than see it used as a gimmicky joke about trains.  So many songs that could have been cut and they had to ruin Peace Train.  They were so close to the mark on that one, and then they killed it, something they did a few times throughout the evening.

Another thing that I feel just missed the mark was the Mythbusters' appearance.  Now, I am a dedicated fan of the Mythbusters; I love their brand of humor and their approach to science and knowledge.  I enjoyed the wave experiment as it gave me a true sense of the vastness of the crowd, but they had fifteen minutes and used all of it to screw around!  Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman are the most notable pop culture figures in science.  They bring science into homes across the country, teaching people of all ages that science is fun, it is cool, and it is important.  So why they have us jump around and play Simon Says?  In a time when science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in America are falling way behind the international standards, when evolution and contraception are under attack in American schools, two of the most famous scientists in America did not once mention the importance of supporting STEM programs in our schools, of using logic and reason instead of emotion and ignorance, or of the importance of scientific and technological innovation in America's economic future.  There are congressional, senatorial, and gubernatorial candidates on ballots across America right now that support the dismantling of the Department of Education, allowing schools to teach creationism and abstinence only education without mention of Darwinian evolution or basic sexual health.  In an event designed to restore sanity to America, how could issues as insane as these be ignored?   A crucial part of science is pointing out the things that are flawed and proposing logical, well reasoned solutions.  Instead, we played with a seismometer, laughed like a mad scientist, and did the wave.  As they left the stage, I could only wonder why they would pass on such a great opportunity to spread the idea that embracing science is not only critically important to the future of American prosperity, but that its also an enjoyable and rewarding field of employment for the thousands, millions of youths who were watching the rally across the country.

The desire to restore sanity in American politics is not a moderate, apolitical ideal.  Sanity in America does not simply refer to the Glenn Becks, Sarah Palins, and Christine O'Donnells of the world.  Sanity is more than toning down the rhetoric, stopping the communist/socialist/Marxist comparisons, and ending the mistruths and half truths from politicians.  Sanity is also a policy issue and a civil rights issue, and the insane ideas need to be shown for what they are.  Why can't all Americans marry who they love, or serve the country they love by joining the military?  What about NewsCorp's propaganda machine, Citizens United,  or the privatization of Social Security, Medicare, and the VA?  What about the Tea Party?  What about the hateful, racist, anti-Muslim and anti-Hispanic rhetoric?   More money was spent on attack adds and dirty politics in one election cycle than in any campaign season in the history of American Politics.  Why were none of these absolutely insane issues discussed?  Wanting to promote sanity while avoiding a political stance is impossible when one of the two mainstream political stances in America is completely insane!

And why did Jon Stewart not once tell the hundreds of thousands of voters in attendence to GET OUT AND VOTE!?  Talk about a missed opportunity!

Jon Stewart is a self proclaimed liberal, yet he ignored that part of himself at the rally.  He said on Crossfire long ago that the "absurdity of the system" provides him with his best comedic material, and its true.  However, this event should not have been about comedy.  This event should have been about restoring sanity not only in the media and the public discourse, but also in public policy and the leaders we choose, and realizing the difference between what is politically smart and what is right for the people of America.

The one glimmer I saw was that the people.  Hundreds of thousands of people, from across the country, all walks of life, all races, ages, upbringings, experiences.  Hundreds of thousands of people united in hope of a new America beginning that day.  Chris Matthews said on Hardball Sunday that the people wanted comedy, a good time, a Woodstock style hazy memory of fun, but I disagree.  I was there for fun; that was guaranteed by some of the funniest people on TV organizing and hosting the event.  But I was really there for a political rally.  I was there to hear a message.  I was there to see the beginning of change in America, the beginning of the future, and I think that's why everyone else was there too.  The people who spent millions of collective travel hours to get to DC, took time off work in a time when money is a precious and fleeting thing.  The people I was crammed in with on the Metro platform when the morning chill still hung in the air, the hundreds of thousands of hungry, thirsty, aching, Americans with a totally violated sense of personal space and sun burned right cheeks and foreheads, who had to wait hours for a table at any restaurant in downtown DC, hours for a ride out of town when the Metro stations were so overloaded they had to close down.  We didn't go through that for a three hour MTV/Comedy Central entertainment event.  We went to see the birth of a new America.

Beck and Palin have said that they think the future of America is in their audience, when in fact the real future of America is in the Stewart-Colbert audience.  We are the generation of America's future; the young, the intelligent, the diverse, the people who are old enough to vote but too young to hold office, and are tired of the corrupt political theater production that is our government.  We all believe in a saner, smarter, better America.  Jon Stewart brought us together in an amazing way.  I guess I just expected too much of him to think that he would go to the next step and maybe lead us a little bit too.

Beck and Palin also have said they believe they are the beginning of a revolution in America, but they're wrong.  They're only the death throes of the hardline Conservative movement in America.  The real budding revolution in America is a progressive revolution, and one which will focus on everything this rally stood for: sanity, respect, and righteousness.  I thought this rally would be the moment that sparked that revolution.  But the thing is, it wasn't a rally; it was a show.  I had a good time, but I'm still pretty disappointed.  Maybe I, and everyone else, should have gone to Ed's OneNation rally instead.

RALLY TO RESTORE SANITY

If you're there, you're awesome.  If you're not there, you're missing out (but are still awesome).  If you came here from seeing the address on my signs, please subscribe/follow to the blog, many more posts to come!

"Every Generation Needs a New Revolution" - Thomas Jefferson

 "Every Generation Needs a New Revolution" - Thomas Jefferson

My name is Nick.  I am a 24 year old chef who spent four years as a music major, with a secondary focus on liberal arts.  Since college, I have been trying to making a living, to find my place in society, and to analyze and plan my future.  The more I see of the real world, the grownup world, the so-called 'American Dream,' the more I realize that it is systemically flawed.

I am not an expert on political matters, nor am I an authority on the structure of our government or political system.  On the other hand, I am an American citizen and as such have a responsibility to be educated and knowledgeable on the functions of our government and the operation and execution of our political system.  I take this responsibility seriously, and believe that every American is obligated to do the same.  Sadly, the responsibility is ignored by most, who are more content to live in a bubble, not worrying about the world outside their home and neighborhood.  It is an easy thing to do, ignoring the outside world and focusing on oneself.  It is easy to get stuck in the day to day grind, the ever-continuing cycle of work, bills, and family.  We take comfort in our routines, live our lives day to day, and the weeks, months, years go by.  Sadly, our downfall as a society will be rooted in our complacency and ambivalence.

I, for one, am tired of being complacent, and am tired of feigning ambivalence.  I am tired of seeing the system fail time and time again, ignoring the principles it was built upon and failing those it was intended to support and protect.  I cannot sit idly by watching the fabric of America unravel at its edges, while those in power either pretend not to see, or are actively pulling at the threads.

It is time for a change.  Not in policy, but in practice.  The best of policies are only minimally effective in a flawed system, and one only has to look to at our recent legislative history to see that.  Rather than only suggesting a series of legislation or a political platform to follow, I believe the solution also lies in an overhaul of the system itself.

I call this The Idealist Prog Blog because I believe that somewhere, somehow, there is the perfect structure of government.  The perfect harmony between the private and public sector, the coexistence of the individual and the corporation, and the opportunity for every American to succeed.  Idealist, indeed, but I with some logic, some knowledge, and some heart, an attainable goal.  This blog is a collection of changes this idealist would instill in the system.