[USATODAY] In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the United States took a number of rapid actions. One was the passage of the Patriot Act, which I regarded as a mistake then, and which doesn't seem much better now. Another was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, a bureaucratic monstrosity that doesn't seem to have done much to keep us actually, you know, safer. It's a bureaucracy. The purpose of a bureaucracy is self-perpetration. Actually doing something is coincidental and often detrimental to the public good...
And another was the federal takeover of aviation security by the Transportation Security Administration, which also seems to have been a bust. Can we expand that to include the entire Department of Homeland Security? The net effect of its establishment has arguably been worse than the entire effect of domestic terrorism in the past dozen years.
There's now some talk about repealing or revising the Patriot Act, At least one cheer is required for that...
and the failure of the Department of Homeland Security to do much good seems pretty widely acknowledged. And what good it hasn't done is offset by the bad.
But it's widely accepted -- even by the Government Accountability Office -- that the TSA's army of unionized federal employees is no better, and perhaps worse, than private screeners. You knew it was going to be. As soon as the matter was brought up in Congress, the Dems' concern was union jobs, not flight security.
This should come as no surprise. When, as was the case before 9/11, security screeners were contractors employed by airlines, they had every incentive to do a good job: Airlines don't want their planes hijacked or blown up. And they also had every incentive to be speedy and pleasant: Airlines don't want to irritate their customers, or to make flying an unpleasant experience in general. You can now do an entire check-in, to to include baggage check, in about three seconds, simply by running your passport through a scanner. The reason you have to show up two hours early for your flight is so you can stand in line to be screened by TSA. They are neither speedy nor, in most cases that I've seen, pleasant. The occasional stories about someone getting past them--there was a boy who somehow got through the screening without a ticket a few days ago, and managed to get on a plane--emphasize just how useful the screeners have been. The elderly, the lame, the halt are actually screened more rigorously in many cases than the fit.
Federal employees have no such incentives, and it often shows. If people miss their flights, or just give up on flying because it's too much hassle, the TSA doesn't suffer. I'd also add that it's the taxpayer who's financing this level of rudeness and incompetence, not the airlines, though I believe they're also hit with assessments.
Even if bombs or hijackers get through, the most likely consequence isn't a bunch of higher-ups at TSA losing their jobs -- when does anybody in the government get fired for failure these days? -- but rather an increased budget and more staff "to make sure this won't happen again." The incentives don't align. [Insert Phony Baloney Jobs quote here]
Most other advanced nations use private screening services, and their security is just fine -- and, according to most accounts, less of a hassle for travelers. Some American airports, from the Socialist paradise of San Francisco ...where God struck dead Anton LaVey, home of the Sydney Ducks, ruled by Vigilance Committee from 1859 through 1867, reliably and volubly Democrat since 1964... to Jackson Hole, are already trying out that approach. Why not take that national? Because once you've assumed the albatross you can't get rid of it?
One reason, of course, is that the TSA's bloated unionized workforce will oppose it. That's the albatross I was referring to, together with their congressional albatross tenders.
But the TSA is also one of the most unpopular agencies with the public. The cattle chute-crotch grabbing experience has something to do with that.
What's more, as Bruce Schneier notes, it has never caught a terrorist. [Insert Deterrence quote from certified albatross tender]
It's not about security, but about "security theater" designed to give the appearance of security. I think the traveling public has caught on to that, and travelers account for more votes than screeners do. But do they account for more donations than do the TSA unions' PACs?
We wanted to be sure that something like 9/11 could never happen again, but ... that was already made sure of by the passengers' themselves on United Flight 93... ...as well as a couple months later, when the shoe bomber was roundly thumped by fellow passengers. The net result of that little episode was that we now have to take our shoes off once we reach the head of the line in the cattle chute.
The 9/11 attacks worked because they caught people -- used to theatrical hijackings that didn't kill anyone -- by surprise. Once Americans figured out this new game, which took ... only 109 minutes, they put an end to it by themselves. The creation of the TSA didn't do any good, and it costs a lot of money, and it does a lot of harm. Put an end to it. Despite the widespread use of databases and such, there are no safelists in the USA (at least that I'm aware of). It would seem to me, a retired database guy, a simple matter to use the same sort of passport scanner used to check in to check a passenger's information against a safelist (not just a list of names, as is apparently used somewhere in the process). If he/she/it is on it, they would be waved through. If not, then walk through the metal detector and/or get the wand treatment.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/03/2013 12:22 ||
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#1
I think you can buy you way onto a "safe-list." My son-in-law, who travels a lot, it on that list; I think it cost him about $100.
In the last two months, the wife and I have been "selected" about a third of the flights to be "Pre-Screened", where you are wisked through with shoes and coats and big-buckled belts on. Mrs. Bobby thinks they are trying to demonstrate how nifty it would be to buy yourself a spot on the list.
Much more worrisome, one screener told Mrs. Bobby pre-screening was "random". They can't be that dumb.
Maybe the NSA has a "nice" list to go with their "naughty" list?
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/03/2013 13:15 Comments ||
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#2
Maybe the NSA has a "nice" list to go with their "naughty" list?
#4
So it goes database vs database (kind of a twist on Spy vs Spy)
Posted by: Au Auric ||
12/03/2013 13:35 Comments ||
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#5
The original intent, much as I dislike the TSA, wasn't bad. There were a lot of vets initially in the ranks.
The problem was that they turned to 'refugees' from the Secret Service to run the TSA. This is the same Secret Service that runs a Uniformed Division. That Division historically has had both morale problems and high turnover (nearly a quarter of the force quit in 2002) and traditionally has been treated like a bastard stepchild by the USSS's investigative/protective division.
There are more than enough stories circulating around about how shabbily TSA agents were treated in the early years of the agency by their so-called leadership. One can't get hard numbers, but it's estimated that the TSA's turnover is above 50% per year.
#7
Before 9/11 there were screening to get on board, due to previous bouts of highjacking. However IIRC, as in the case of Boston, too many of the people were old retired police officers basically filling a patronage position.
The TSA was a Donk initiative that Bush Jr did try to avoid till the process turned into a political weapon to hammer him with. He had a war to run and basically gave in rather than spend political capital resisting the Big Government grab.
#8
What pappy said; I spent 7 months as a screening supervisor; lots of vets and NCOs; our deputy director hated men and vets, so we already had 2 strikes against us. got written up for doing my job because the training needed wasn't provided. when I left there were only 2 vets left and they were gone about 3 months later. all that is there now are dregs and those that can't get a real job and/or have a uniform fetish. Think Barney w/out a bullet.
#3
Unfortunately, unlike the US-vs-USSR I don't see "post-US" wannbe, "Mahanist" China's cold war agz Japan in NE Asia lasting as long nor refraining from war.
Pert-described Chinese "Mahanism" + "Cold War" are NOT mutually inclusive, AS MAHANISM = typically involves Aggressive Diplomacy, MilPol Brinkmanship, + Mil Actions ranging from brief Clashes between troops to Limited/Restricted Wars lasting weeks or months.
In the modern era, LIMITED WARS = NOW INCLUDES LIMITED NUCLEAR WAR OR LIMITED TACTICAL NUCLEAR WAR.
* ION WORLD NEWS > [China Daily = People's Daily Online] EXPERTS STRESS THAT [1943] CAIRO DECLARATION TERMS SHALL BE CARRIED OUT, as per 1945 Potsdam Declaration + 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement on carrying out Article 8 of Cairo Declaration.
D *** NG IT - SHALL, SHALL - SPELLED SHAAWL - SHALL!
RELATED BIG NEW NETWORK = JAPAN MUST ABIDE BY THE CAIRO DECLARATION.
RELATED GLOBAL TIMES = EXPERTS SAY CAIRO DECLARATION ESTABLISHES POST-WAR [WW2 =1945] INTERNATIONAL ORDER.
Artics above broadly mean or infers that Japan must return Taiwan, littoral islands around Taiwan [Pescadores], + Okinawa AKA Ryukyus to mainland China + its lawful No-Longer-Chiang-Kai-Shek/Nationalist = Commie Govt therein.
Again, TAIWAN = China's perceived equivalent of "Pearl Harbor/Norfolk HQS" [Fleet, USDOD] in the Pacific.
* IDRW.ORG > US VQ-1 SQUADRON IS AN OLD FRIEND OF CHINA.
Ironically, VQ-1 is also known as per GUAM = caught in possible FUTURE "NO MAN'S LAND" BETWEEN CHINA''S + US' HALVES OF THE PACIFIC.
* TOPIX > [News.com.AU = Global Times] EDITORIAL: DECLARATION OF AIR ZONE IS A SIGN BEIJING THINKS RISKS OF CONFLICT [mil confrontation + lict = war] IS RISING.
* GUARDIAN.UK > US CALLS ON CHINA TO RESCIND AIR ZONE TO AVOID JAPAN CONFRONTATION.
versus
* TOPIX, FREEREPUBLIC > [The Atlantic via Twitter] REPORT: WHITE HOUSE BLAMES STATE DEPARTMENT FOR CHINA AIR DEFENCE ZONE KOWTOW.
POTUS Bammer at odds wid US SecState Jaaawhn
"Presidential" Kerry - ditto as per Japan Ambassador "Sweet Caroline" Kennedy???
* SAME > [SCMP] BEIJING'S AIR DEFENCE ZONE AIMED AT MAKING TOKYO NEGOTIATE, ANALYSTS SAY.
* WAFF > BLOGGER THREAD: AMERICAN BASES IN JAPAN + SOUTH KOREA [How long will they remain?].
RELATED SAME > GUAM-BASED B-52S SENT INTO CHINA'S NEW AIR DEFENCE ZONE BY US WAS DETECTED + MONITORED BY CHINESE SATELLITES AND RADARS AT TAKEOFF.
* GLOBAL TIMES > EDITORIAL: US-JAPAN CANNOT STOP THE RISE OF CHINA AS A FIRST-CLASS POWER.
* INDIAN DEFENCE FORUM > [WantChinaTimes] BEIJING AIR DEFENCE ZONE ALLOWS PLA TO PENETRATE MIYAKO WATERWAYS, between Miyako + Okinawa, + ultimately to begin challenging US dominance in WESTPAC as denoted in HK-BASED YAZHOU ZHOUKAN NEWSPAPER.
China ADIZ planned since 2012 Party Congress in Beijing.
* GLOBE-N-MAIL.UK > ENVOY [Amb. Ma Keqing] SAYS CHINA HAS RIGHT TO AIR DEFENCE ZONE IN ANOTHER DISPUTED AREA.
Repor the SCS + Yellow Sea - NOKOR to be hemmed in by overlord China???
* CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > US + SOUTH KOREA ENTERING ADIZ IS OKAY, BUT NOT JAPAN, SAYS PRC.
* SAME > CHINA ALREADY A SUPERPOWER: SINGAPOREAN MINISTER.
* SAME > US-CHINA AIR STANDOFF COULD ROIL US TREASURY MARKETS, iff China + aligned choose to stop lending to the US in retaliation.
* SAME > CHINA HAS BEGUN ASSERTING OWNERSHIP OF THOUSANDS OF SHIPWRECKS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA | CHINESE TERRITORIAL STRIFE HITS [Underwater = Ocean] ARCHAEOLOGY.
* WASHINGTON TIMES > GHOSTS OF EAST ASIA + MORE US CONCESSIONS, TO CHINA THIS TIME.
Bammer "red lines" start to implode in East Asia.
* WORLD MILITARY FORUM > VOICE OF RUSSIA: EXPERTS PREDICT CHINA WILL WIN "WAR OF NERVES" AGZ JAPAN, USA IN AIR ZONE ROW.
* SAME > CHINA'S "ARC OF FREEDOM AND PROSPERITY" STRATEGY DEPENDS ON CHINA HAVING DOMINATING CONTROL OR MAJOR ECONOMIC INFLUENCE IN "FIRST ISLAND CHAIN". IMPORTANCE OF THE "SECOND ISLAND CHAIN", I.E. GUAM-SAIPAN LINE, TO CHINA'S ABILITY AS A GLOBAL/INTERNATIONAL SUPERPOWER TO ASSERT UNILATERAL AUTHORITY + MILITARY POWER.
Somewhat in the fourteenth or fifteenth century Japanese and Chinese pirates discovered it and bagan foundering in its waters. But this was not China.
Then came... the Portuguese. First real discoverers and colonists. But somewhat later the crown of Portugal was inherited by the king of Spain and the Spain didn't pay much attention to Portuguese colonies so the Dutch came and took Taiwan from the Hispano-Portuguese. It was the Dutch who introduced the first Chinese laborers in the island.
Then the Ming dinasty fell to the Mandchus and many Ming loyalistas fled to Taiwan. After a time they expelled the Dutch. For the first time Taiwan was in Chinese hands. But these were not China's hands. About twenty years later Taiwan fell to the Mandchis so first time in history Taiwna was in China's hands. However these were not Chinese hands but Madchorians hands. About 250 years later China had to give it to Japan. Sixty years later Japan lost WWII and the Allied powers to gave back Taiwan to Chine. However nobody had asked the Taiwnanese and in fact they were fiercely opposed to it. So the Chinese just machine gunned the demonstrators. Notice that: 1945 was the first time when Tawian was part of a Chinese China. Then in 1949 China fell in Communist hands and nationalists fled to Taiwan much to the displeasure of the Taiwanese. AFAIK most "Old Taiwanese" ie the 85% of Taiwanese who descend from people who came before 1949 will tell you they are not Chinese. And of course this is still truer between the 2% Australasian minority.
So Taiwna is not VHinese but Taiwanes. If any it should be Portuguese. :-)
#7
Delusional grand idea of a insane leadership. Bits and pieces perhaps but never anything close to this. Raw materials alone major issue. Aging population. Too vast an area to manage now. How long a strong economy?. Money drain on military. Those with money are leaving now. No religion no hope. Just faith in government. Look at North Korea. You can't export or grow your country inside or out on death. Look at Islam. They are failing now. Communism,Socialism and Islam are dead ends. These things come back again and again and the end is always the same. Then in history how many wars has China won?. Paper dragon on cocaine. Their own people are blades of grass to them. Russia will not go so easy. This is a front Germany lost in their war. The winter will kill the aggressor. Then internal rebellion as well. Putin is having a hard enough time holding things together himself.
It's sort of like saying how many wars has Europe won? We talking dynasties here Han, Tang, Song, Yuan (Mongol), Ming, Manchu. Like all major nations they had expansion (often through war and conquest), consolidation, contraction, and internal upheaval. Each dynasty would try to legitimize itself by 'inheriting' the mandate of heaven and thus the authentic successor to its predecessor as the embodiment of the Chin.
It was a Tang conquest expedition that beat the heck out of the Parthians (the people who beat the Romans at Carrhae and made Carssus' head into a goblet). Their goal was to conquer Rome and thought the Parthians were them. However, when the Parthians explained that how far away Rome really was, the Tang retired back to their western borders.
Up until the 17th-18th Century period, the Chinese were probably the most organized and technologically proficient civilization on the globe before the less organized European states got their act together. Their xenophobic culture and its inherent hubris, curse by the natural corruption of large bureaucracies, set them up for their fall when they finally were confronted by an adversary which the large central Asian divide could no longer contain. That xenophobia and hubris were only submersed by the ascendent Europeans. After a couple runs by the Europeans at cultural suicide in the 20th Century, that is all now vanishing and the ethnocentric attitude of the Middle Kingdom once again comes to the stage.
#9
In the seventeenth century the oh so teccnically profic,net Chinese were completely unable to proiduce a single ship who had a chance agaisnt a mere frigate, not to mention a ship of the line.
Alkso we have been told about a big Chinese expedition who was supposed to cross the Pacific ans discover America before Colomb. THe fact is that China had n ot been able to discovber Taiwan.
About astronomy, in 17th Century Europe already had had Copernic and Keple and had discovered the speed of light was finite. Ceramics was bout the only thoing whereChina had a technologiaclk lead and this was shrinking fast booth in Saxony and in France.
#10
THe fact is that if you think in the huge number of Chinese, thus its potential for having far more scientists and inventors tha Europe the unavoidable conclusion is that Chinas civilization sucked at producing them.
#11
Sure will fight in the next 50 years and the goal is to gain back the Chinese empire at the height of territory. Likely the same map is in use by the Chinese Defense Forces to instruct the troops on the "desired borders of China 2025."
Posted by: Au Auric ||
12/03/2013 12:00 Comments ||
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#12
And yet the Chinese had already discovered East Africa well before the Europeans discovered America. Read up on Zheng_He. The Spanish send three small ships to explore, the Chinese sent a fleet. The cultural problem with the Chinese and technology is similar to some modern political theories today. They sought 'balance' or 'harmony' not innovation. Whether Tao or Confucius, it was social order (control) over the chaos and friction of change. The record of Chinese 'first' are there, but they seldom if ever got around to exploit them as others did.
The advantage the Europeans had was in their competition of war and politics. The tribal/nation state resisted the amalgamation that the Chinese had attained on several epochs. They had to look for advantages, exploits, and niches to one up each other. In doing so, they fueled the innovations and changes.
#17
This one concept by China is what will probably drive both Japan and South Korea to increase their military capability, and will probably drive both to acquire both nuclear warheads and the means to deliver them to the Chinese mainland -- possibly in large quantities. Japan is already regretting its decision to shut down its nuclear reactors, and will probably quietly restore them in the coming year. The behavior of the United States under Barrack Hussein Obama has also convinced all our Southeast Asian allies that they're more or less on their own, and need to prepare accordingly.
The one thing the US could do that would cause China the most heartache would be to gift the Japanese Naval Self Defense Force with the retired USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier. The Japanese would totally dismantle it, do a cost-benefit analysis, and have a much-improved, possibly nuclear-propelled version in the water in two to three years.
China still feels humiliated by Japanese conquest of much of its territory during WWII. They are out for revenge, as well as territorial consolidation. A strong US presidency would curb their aggressiveness substantially.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/03/2013 14:55 Comments ||
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#18
The Chinese claim to Taiwan comes from teh civil war and the Republican Chinese fleeing to Taiwan and basically taking it over. It is undestandable that they would be confused over the matter I guess. The world called Taiwan China for half a century after all.
#19
The article is nonsense, China gains no benefit from any of those wars (except perhaps pride when it comes to Taiwan).
I think more likely is the Chinese civil war which will come if their economy doesn't start charging along again.
I also think more likely is Chinese intervention in a North Korean collapse. If nothing to keep the refugee situation in control but proably more to ensure the end game of such a collapse is to their liking.
Since China has done little to get themselves off of oil they are still strategically very vunerable to oil disruptions. Any of these wars would cause massive economic havoc in China.
#20
After the victories of the previous five wars by 2050, China will make territorial claims based on the domain of Qing Dynasty (similar way by making use of the domain of the Republic of China to unify Outer Mongolia) and to make propaganda campaigns favoring such claims. Efforts should also be made to disintegrate Russia again.
In the days of Old China, Russia has occupied around one hundred and sixty million square kilometre of lands, equivalent to one-sixth of the landmass of current domain of China. Russia is therefore the bitter enemy of China. After the victories of previous five wars, it is the time to make Russians pay their price.
There must be a war with Russia. Though at that time, China has become an advanced power in navy, army, air and space forces, it is nevertheless the first war against a nuclear power. Therefore, China should be well prepared in nuclear weapons, such as the nuclear power to strike Russia from the front stage to the end. When the Chinese army deprives the Russians ability to counter strike, they will come to realize that they can no longer match China in the battlefield. They can do nothing but to hand over their occupied lands and to pay a heavy price to their invasions.
For a guy who seems pretty obsessed about history, he doesn't seem to know anything about *Russian* history. That "[Then] They can do nothing but to hand over their... lands" concept has been tried, oh, I don't know - three times in the last 300 years? Hasn't worked yet.
#22
During the Cold War, to be a Global Superpower or Great Power meant "leading from the front".
To paraph Mel Gibson in "WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE" > "The Leader is always the first off, + the last one to leave".
Compare the above to the Bammer's + OWG Globalist "Leading from Behind".
D *** NG IT, "LEADING FROM BEHIND" ="WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH/BULLETS FLY + BOMBS EXPLODE, YOU GUYS CAN GO FIRST AKA I'M THE FIRST ONE TO GET OFF THE SHIP".
"WOMEN, CHILDREN, ELDERLY + DISABLED FIRST"? - WHOSE THE WALKING CLUSTERFUCK THAT CAME UP WID THAT IDEA"!
#23
* ION TOPIX > [Washington Times] THE DANGER OF LEADING FROM BEHIND.
* SAME > [Examiner] GETTING CHINA'S ATTENTION: A NUCLEAR-ARMED JAPAN + SOUTH KOREA.
Actually, 'tis more correct to say a Nuke-armed Nippon + ROK, etal. as complemented wid US-led Missle Defense [GMD-TMD], Space Strike = "Global Prompt Strike" as well as Global Space Defense.
* CHINA DAILY FORUM > OBAMA THROWS JAPAN UNDER THE BUS AND BOWS TO CHINA.
versus
* DRUDGEREPORT > [Washington Free Beacon] CHINA THREATENS JAPAN [wid MilAction] AHEAD OF BIDEN TRIP.
Via PLA + PRC Defense Ministry Spox Geng Yangsheng.
The PLA VOWS TO SUPPORT + ENFORCE CHINA'S LAWS/CONTROLS IN NEW EAST CHINA SEA ADIZ.
You knew they would.
* CHINA DAILY FORUM > CHINA TO ELECTRONICALLY JAM FOREIGN MILITARY PLANES IN ADIZ.
"Soft/Subtle Escalation" doth still an Escalation maketh.
#24
The military leadership in China has some of the brightest minds. They have a better handle on how things will play out. The political elites will call the shots and the military must obey. There is their weakest point along with resource issues. They should continue doing what they are doing now. Just super-size. World shipping is declining. Rough times ahead for all.
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