The recent release of pictures taken by full-body scanners has outraged the travelling public and focused attention on the risks the devices may carry. New Scientist deals with the concerns:
Full-body scanners: we reveal all
- Thread starter Grat3fulh3ad
- Start date
sac beh
Member
So they need to be studied more. Which is my only issue with the TSA, that these new security measures are rolled out hastily and amidst fear, and not at a measured pace. Then add to that the fact that they are operated in public places filled with people and not under strict control like an x-ray in a doctor's office. And are these scanners really the best anti-terrorism investment? I think that should be considered also.
But I avoid air travel when I can anyway because I hate the hassle, not because I think the TSA is out to F me.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/8...ation-risk-of-the-tsas-full-body-x-ray-scans/
But I avoid air travel when I can anyway because I hate the hassle, not because I think the TSA is out to F me.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/8...ation-risk-of-the-tsas-full-body-x-ray-scans/
G
Guest3498
I feel guilty for actually agreeing with Ann Coulter, but the heartless bitch is right in this case....
http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/printer_friendly.cgi?article=397
After the 9/11 attacks, when 19 Muslim terrorists -- 15 from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates and one each from Egypt and Lebanon, 14 with "al" in their names -- took over commercial aircraft with box-cutters, the government banned sharp objects from planes.
Airport security began confiscating little old ladies' knitting needles and breaking the mouse-sized nail files off of passengers' nail clippers. Surprisingly, no decrease in the number of hijacking attempts by little old ladies and manicurists was noted.
After another Muslim terrorist, Richard Reid, AKA Tariq Raja, AKA Abdel Rahim, AKA Abdul Raheem, AKA Abu Ibrahim, AKA Sammy Cohen (which was only his eHarmony alias), tried to blow up a commercial aircraft with explosive-laden sneakers, the government prohibited more than 3 ounces of liquid from being carried on airplanes.
All passengers were required to take off their shoes for special security screening, which did not thwart a single terrorist attack, but made airport security checkpoints a lot smellier.
After Muslim terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab of Nigeria tried to detonate explosive material in his underwear over Detroit last Christmas, the government began requiring nude body scans at airports.
The machines, which cannot detect chemicals or plastic, would not have caught the diaper bomber. So, again, no hijackers were stopped, but being able to see passengers in the nude boosted the morale of airport security personnel by 22 percent.
After explosives were inserted in two ink cartridges and placed on a plane headed to the United States from the Muslim nation of Yemen, the government banned printer cartridges from all domestic flights, resulting in no improvement in airport security, while requiring ink cartridges who traveled to take Amtrak.
So when the next Muslim terrorist, probably named Abdul Ahmed al Shehri, places explosives in his anal cavity, what is the government going to require then? (If you're looking for a good investment opportunity, might I suggest rubber gloves?)
Last year, a Muslim attempting to murder Prince Mohammed bin Nayef of Saudi Arabia blew himself up with a bomb stuck up his anus. Fortunately, this didn't happen near an airport, or Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano would now be requiring full body cavity searches to fly.
You can't stop a terrorist attack by searching for the explosives any more than you can stop crime by taking away everyone's guns.
In the 1970s, liberal ideas on crime swept the country. Gun owners were treated like criminals while actual criminals were coddled and released. If only we treated criminals with dignity and respect and showed them the system was fair, liberals told us, criminals would reward us with good behavior.
As is now well known, crime exploded in the '70s. It took decades of conservative law-and-order policies to get crime back to near-1950s levels.
It's similarly pointless to treat all Americans as if they're potential terrorists while trying to find and confiscate anything that could be used as a weapon. We can't search all passengers for explosives because Muslims stick explosives up their anuses. (Talk about jobs Americans just won't do.)
You have to search for the terrorists.
Fortunately, that's the one advantage we have in this war. In a lucky stroke, all the terrorists are swarthy, foreign-born, Muslim males. (Think: "Guys Madonna would date.")
This would give us a major leg up -- if only the country weren't insane.
Is there any question that we'd be looking for Swedes if the 9/11 terrorists, the shoe bomber, the diaper bomber and the printer cartridge bomber had all been Swedish? If the Irish Republican Army were bombing our planes, wouldn't we be looking for people with Irish surnames and an Irish appearance?
Only because the terrorists are Muslims do we pretend not to notice who keeps trying to blow up our planes.
It would be harder to find Swedes or Irish boarding commercial airliners in the U.S. than Muslims. Swarthy foreigners stand out like a sore thumb in an airport. The American domestic flying population is remarkably homogenous. An airport is not a Sears department store.
Only about a third of all Americans flew even once in the last year, and only 7 percent took more than four round trips. The majority of airline passengers are middle-aged, middle-class, white businessmen with about a million frequent flier miles. I'd wager that more than 90 percent of domestic air travelers were born in the U.S.
If the government did nothing more than have a five-minute conversation with the one passenger per flight born outside the U.S., you'd need 90 percent fewer Transportation Security Administration agents and airlines would be far safer than they are now.
Instead, Napolitano just keeps ordering more invasive searches of all passengers, without exception -- except members of Congress and government officials, who get VIP treatment, so they never know what she's doing to the rest of us.
Two weeks ago, Napolitano ordered TSA agents to start groping women's breasts and all passengers' genitalia -- children, nuns and rape victims, everyone except government officials and members of Congress. (Which is weird because Dennis Kucinich would like it.)
"Please have your genitalia out and ready to be fondled when you approach the security checkpoint."
This is the punishment for refusing the nude body scan for passengers who don't want to appear nude on live video or are worried about the skin cancer risk of the machines -- risks acknowledged by the very Johns Hopkins study touted by the government.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that we need to keep the government as far away from airport security as possible, and not only because Janet Napolitano did her graduate work in North Korea.
http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/printer_friendly.cgi?article=397
After the 9/11 attacks, when 19 Muslim terrorists -- 15 from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates and one each from Egypt and Lebanon, 14 with "al" in their names -- took over commercial aircraft with box-cutters, the government banned sharp objects from planes.
Airport security began confiscating little old ladies' knitting needles and breaking the mouse-sized nail files off of passengers' nail clippers. Surprisingly, no decrease in the number of hijacking attempts by little old ladies and manicurists was noted.
After another Muslim terrorist, Richard Reid, AKA Tariq Raja, AKA Abdel Rahim, AKA Abdul Raheem, AKA Abu Ibrahim, AKA Sammy Cohen (which was only his eHarmony alias), tried to blow up a commercial aircraft with explosive-laden sneakers, the government prohibited more than 3 ounces of liquid from being carried on airplanes.
All passengers were required to take off their shoes for special security screening, which did not thwart a single terrorist attack, but made airport security checkpoints a lot smellier.
After Muslim terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab of Nigeria tried to detonate explosive material in his underwear over Detroit last Christmas, the government began requiring nude body scans at airports.
The machines, which cannot detect chemicals or plastic, would not have caught the diaper bomber. So, again, no hijackers were stopped, but being able to see passengers in the nude boosted the morale of airport security personnel by 22 percent.
After explosives were inserted in two ink cartridges and placed on a plane headed to the United States from the Muslim nation of Yemen, the government banned printer cartridges from all domestic flights, resulting in no improvement in airport security, while requiring ink cartridges who traveled to take Amtrak.
So when the next Muslim terrorist, probably named Abdul Ahmed al Shehri, places explosives in his anal cavity, what is the government going to require then? (If you're looking for a good investment opportunity, might I suggest rubber gloves?)
Last year, a Muslim attempting to murder Prince Mohammed bin Nayef of Saudi Arabia blew himself up with a bomb stuck up his anus. Fortunately, this didn't happen near an airport, or Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano would now be requiring full body cavity searches to fly.
You can't stop a terrorist attack by searching for the explosives any more than you can stop crime by taking away everyone's guns.
In the 1970s, liberal ideas on crime swept the country. Gun owners were treated like criminals while actual criminals were coddled and released. If only we treated criminals with dignity and respect and showed them the system was fair, liberals told us, criminals would reward us with good behavior.
As is now well known, crime exploded in the '70s. It took decades of conservative law-and-order policies to get crime back to near-1950s levels.
It's similarly pointless to treat all Americans as if they're potential terrorists while trying to find and confiscate anything that could be used as a weapon. We can't search all passengers for explosives because Muslims stick explosives up their anuses. (Talk about jobs Americans just won't do.)
You have to search for the terrorists.
Fortunately, that's the one advantage we have in this war. In a lucky stroke, all the terrorists are swarthy, foreign-born, Muslim males. (Think: "Guys Madonna would date.")
This would give us a major leg up -- if only the country weren't insane.
Is there any question that we'd be looking for Swedes if the 9/11 terrorists, the shoe bomber, the diaper bomber and the printer cartridge bomber had all been Swedish? If the Irish Republican Army were bombing our planes, wouldn't we be looking for people with Irish surnames and an Irish appearance?
Only because the terrorists are Muslims do we pretend not to notice who keeps trying to blow up our planes.
It would be harder to find Swedes or Irish boarding commercial airliners in the U.S. than Muslims. Swarthy foreigners stand out like a sore thumb in an airport. The American domestic flying population is remarkably homogenous. An airport is not a Sears department store.
Only about a third of all Americans flew even once in the last year, and only 7 percent took more than four round trips. The majority of airline passengers are middle-aged, middle-class, white businessmen with about a million frequent flier miles. I'd wager that more than 90 percent of domestic air travelers were born in the U.S.
If the government did nothing more than have a five-minute conversation with the one passenger per flight born outside the U.S., you'd need 90 percent fewer Transportation Security Administration agents and airlines would be far safer than they are now.
Instead, Napolitano just keeps ordering more invasive searches of all passengers, without exception -- except members of Congress and government officials, who get VIP treatment, so they never know what she's doing to the rest of us.
Two weeks ago, Napolitano ordered TSA agents to start groping women's breasts and all passengers' genitalia -- children, nuns and rape victims, everyone except government officials and members of Congress. (Which is weird because Dennis Kucinich would like it.)
"Please have your genitalia out and ready to be fondled when you approach the security checkpoint."
This is the punishment for refusing the nude body scan for passengers who don't want to appear nude on live video or are worried about the skin cancer risk of the machines -- risks acknowledged by the very Johns Hopkins study touted by the government.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that we need to keep the government as far away from airport security as possible, and not only because Janet Napolitano did her graduate work in North Korea.
That everyone shouldn't get all bent out of shape if we single out the obvious muslims and give them an extra long search, while allowing others(non-muslim in appearance) to move through the line at a faster pace.
Which is fine with me.
its funny because they do single out certain groups.
if you come back from a "drug country" like Jamaica and you are white, young and flying alone they will search your bag and persons and spend a few minutes trying to intimidate you. i flew there twice a year for 20 years and it would be like clockwork every time i was passing through immigration on the way back into the US. and of course they would tell me it was random, riiightt.
why cant they do that with the people they suspect with bombings? they surely have no problem with people they think are drug mules.
PC bullshit
if you come back from a "drug country" like Jamaica and you are white, young and flying alone they will search your bag and persons and spend a few minutes trying to intimidate you. i flew there twice a year for 20 years and it would be like clockwork every time i was passing through immigration on the way back into the US. and of course they would tell me it was random, riiightt.
why cant they do that with the people they suspect with bombings? they surely have no problem with people they think are drug mules.
PC bullshit
its not even really about bombs. bombs is the cover up to have more technologies to catch mules.
I guess I better shave before I fly next time
One scanner to another, "come here quick and look at this scan, I think this woman's trying to smuggle a squirrel in her pants"
sac beh
Member
Oh no, you guys are kidding right? You've bought into the media's obsession with Islam and Muslim terrorists? Why? Because its easier to place the threat in other countries, cultures, and religious beliefs rather than dealing with the rational proposition that terrorists come in quite a few shapes and sizes?
ddrew, you're going even further and saying that people who only appear Muslim should be given the extra long searches? Damn, I'm definitely not flying again if that were the genius security system in place. Racial profiling as the principle security method is ineffective and probably about as much of a waste of resources as these damn scanners.
ddrew, you're going even further and saying that people who only appear Muslim should be given the extra long searches? Damn, I'm definitely not flying again if that were the genius security system in place. Racial profiling as the principle security method is ineffective and probably about as much of a waste of resources as these damn scanners.
This could be very troubling for pre-op transsexuals, eh? Not to mention if they were to opt for the pat-down deal.
"I'm going to give you 30 minutes to quit fondling my special purpose! I'm serious damn it!"
Then there's that famous scene from "When Harry Met Sally" with the line "I'll have what she's having!"
Troubling times indeed!
CC
"I'm going to give you 30 minutes to quit fondling my special purpose! I'm serious damn it!"
Then there's that famous scene from "When Harry Met Sally" with the line "I'll have what she's having!"
Troubling times indeed!
CC
You should check out how the Israeli's protect their air travel. Amazing success rate with one hell of a lot more pressure from potential bombers.
I was talking about the article that Vado quoted, you did pause to read what others posted right?
But yes I am saying that, try to get your white American ass anywhere near mecca, not happening, there are no more discriminatory people in the world when it comes to viewing other religions and cultures then the muslims.
So here's what I would do If I was in charge.
All non terrorist appearing people empty their pockets and go through the metal detector like always, and have carry on bags X-rayed.
All muslims/arabs go through the body scanner, strip search, cavity check with flashlight, and 30 minute interrogation.
When a Jeff Spicoli surfer looking guy trys to blow up a plane in the name of allah, then we will scan everyone, in the meantime we will stick to the people that have been trying, 100% muslim extremists.
And for the non extremists muslims, too bad, a few bad apples spoiled it for all of you, now strip down and bend over.
People, this is complete BS. Our government did NOTHING to prevent 911 and now they are searching everyone, mostly non Muslims, to make you think they are looking out for you, that you are safe. This is all a complete lie. Most of the people working for TSA weren't even employed when they got their jobs. The government created an additional assload of spending to fool us, and take away your right to privacy.
God dammnit, I've been in airport lines watching them search grandmothers. Now they want to get pictures of your entire body and if you don't succumb they will search-grope you into shame.
Listen, even if they were doing this prior to 911 it wouldn't have helped. They were so freaking lax prior to 911 and now it really looks like they are trying to set precedent as to what the government has the right to do. You have to see it for what it is. our government is failing in every direction and wasting billions of dollars on this needless crap. They are literally using the Muslim threat they created to steal your rights.
We have to be honest about this. Most of the shipments that come in from overseas aren't searched but they expect you to believe or go along with the notion that if they search a bunch of white Americans we'll be safer? This government has become a load of shite.
God dammnit, I've been in airport lines watching them search grandmothers. Now they want to get pictures of your entire body and if you don't succumb they will search-grope you into shame.
Listen, even if they were doing this prior to 911 it wouldn't have helped. They were so freaking lax prior to 911 and now it really looks like they are trying to set precedent as to what the government has the right to do. You have to see it for what it is. our government is failing in every direction and wasting billions of dollars on this needless crap. They are literally using the Muslim threat they created to steal your rights.
We have to be honest about this. Most of the shipments that come in from overseas aren't searched but they expect you to believe or go along with the notion that if they search a bunch of white Americans we'll be safer? This government has become a load of shite.
sac beh
Member
Of course I read it, and your response to it, which is why I disagree. Aside from this statement being misleading if not completely incorrect: "In a lucky stroke, all the terrorists are swarthy, foreign-born, Muslim males.", racial profiling won't be effective as a principle security measure against terrorism.
Do I need to list for you non-Muslim terrorists and security threats?
Marijuanasaur
Member
You do have a point. If they implemented a ethnicity based search, wouldn't muslims try to conform to look like clean cut americans? Hell, they are planning on blowing themselves up anyway, something tells me they aren't worried that they dont have to wear their traditional garb...
sac beh
Member
Please. Don't hold up Israel as an example of successful security. Their security has come at the price of another people's near complete destruction, the longest-lasting yet most accepted example of genocide we have today.
Sac I am a supporter of profiling, if a crime is being committed predominately by a certain ethnic group or religion, then I'm OK with a taking a longer look at them then the next guy. Will this catch everyone out to do wrong?
No, but I'll bet we start catching more then we are now.
No, but I'll bet we start catching more then we are now.
