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.