One thing we have to admit about the Obama administration: they are unparalleled in their ability to lie to the American people with a straight face.
As a case in point, it now turns out that government officials have been collecting and storing the naked, full-body scans of airline passengers despite repeated declarations that the machines weren't capable of storing or transmitting the highly-personal images.
To help placate the public, the manufacturer of the scanner is saying the machines have technology "that eliminates the need for constant user observation." In other words, human TSA employees can enjoy coffee breaks while the machine itself checks out naked bodies and decides whether someone is carrying a weapon or is simply "glad to see you."
All of this would be funny if it weren't for the fact that the government has been lying to us about the scanner's capabilities. And now that the naked truth is out, someone needs to answer for it.
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NAPOLIBOT 2010:
It knows what you've got and knows what it likes!
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Call it what you like, but, with regard to air travel, the 911 terrorists achieved their objective with me. Flying is now such a pain in the ass that I absolutely refuse to consider it as a mode of travel. I will not take off my shoes to be scanned, I will not submit to a "full body scan". I will not package any liquids into 3 oz bottles. They won. A freedom has been surrendered for the phantom of safety.
ReplyDeleteWhy phantom? I'm a statistician, for the most part, and we statisticians carry a couple precepts in the field of statistical process control. One is that if an individual is found to exist in a sample, there are many in the "universe" or population from which the sample was taken. The underwear bomber and others that have been discovered and apprehended after boarding and flying are these individuals in the universe, and constitute statistical proof that there are many, many more as yet undetected. Another is that 100% inspection is effective in detecting only 80% of the concerns. There you have Homeland Security and the TSA in a nutshell.
"This is Captain Uppendiare, and I'd like to welcome you aboard Flight 931 to that other place. Please don't be alarmed by the strange vibrations in the aircraft - it is only the people on board shuddering in fear..."
I'm just a love machine (whoop whoo) and I won't work for nobody but you.
ReplyDeleteIf we just did what the Israeli's do and have some really good armed guys on every flight, we could eliminate half the stupid stuff they do at the airport these days.
ReplyDeleteEmmentaler- Good post. With all of the time and expense of airport searches, how often have we really caught the bad guys? Not often...because they know what we're looking for and so do something else. If we've got naked body scanners, they can implant undetectable butt bombs and boob bombs. If you don't like taking off your shoes, just imagine how little you'll enjoy being told to touch your toes while a TSA employee approaches you from behind with a dipstick.
ReplyDeletemy gosh, doc, GREAT cartoon today!
ReplyDeleteConsidering the recent internet access to a ga-zillion secret military papers from Afghanistan, it's only a matter of time before pictures of naked people from TSA scans hit the web. All I have to say is, "Please, please, PLEASE, nobody email me pictures of Napolitano naked!
ReplyDeleteAlong those lines, I hope to GOD Barney Frank NEVER flies commercial....
Don't worry, Colby, the feds are usually above the laws they make for the rest of us....
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