Airport Security: "Beware of Dog" Without the Dog

Over the years, I have known people who, rather than pay a high monthly fee for a home security system, simply buy a "Protected by" sign and plunk it down in their front yard. The hope is that the sign alone, will deter burglars and vandals.  This assumes, of course, that the idiot burglar can even read the sign or even cares.  Others,  put up "Beware of Dog" signs for a non-existent dog, hoping for the same effect.

In that same vein, it seems we are spending $7 billion a year for the appearance of airport security without a system to really back it up.  In a recent testing of the Transportation Security Agency, U.S. airports had a failure rate of 95% in testing that security. Realistic looking guns and bombs were used and passed through security undetected. Apparently, while the TSA agents were checking out a body scan of some great looking babe, testers were shoving guns and bombs through checkpoints like water through holes in a dam.

On top of that miserable result, we are apparently so proud that we discovered the major flaw that we published the results.  So, now, not only does every American know it, so do terrorists.  Does anyone think that ISIS let this little item slip by them unnoticed?

References:

Why are we spending $7 billion on TSA?: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/05/opinions/schneier-tsa-security/

Does Obama Even Remember 9/11?

In speech after speech, Barack Obama keeps blaming George Bush for his own economic and deficit woes.  The way he tells it, Bush took a Clinton surplus and turned it into a deficit by his spending on two wars, and because the Bush tax cuts (for the rich) made it so.

What is really infuriating about Obama's claim (along with many Democrats) is that it completely ignores why there was one of those wars and an increase in deficit spending, and why the tax cuts were even passed into law.  By blaming Bush for these problems, Obama is completely ignoring the impact of 9/11.

Besides the fact that 9/11 forced us to go to war in Afghanistan, that attack on the twin towers sent this country into a tailspin.  People stopped flying; especially to travel locations.  They were scared. Unemployment zoomed in travel destinations such as Las Vegas, Orlando, and Hawaii.  The economy suffered and tax revenues fell; resulting in budget deficits.

On top of that, Federal spending skyrocketed; further causing budget deficits to increase.  President Obama conveniently forgets that the Department of Homeland Security and the hiring of thousands of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport screeners arose from the ashes of 9/11.  Billions more were spent on screening devices and baggage scanning systems.  Aircraft cockpit doors were made entry proof.  Billions were spent in beefing up federal buildings in the U.S. and around the world to protect them from either drive up or drive into car bombings and/or walk-in terrorist bombers.   And, billions more were spent on container x-ray devices at every U.S. seaport of entry.

Lastly, the Bush Tax Cuts were passed into law in 2003 because 9/11 had literally slowed the economy to a snail's pace.  In fact, from 2001 to 2003, the economy only grew by an anemic 7.7%; when, in fact, a growth of 18% or more would have have normally been expected.  After the tax cuts became law, the economy recovered; increasing by 26% from 2004 until the the recession hit in 2007.

Obama's claims are truly being taken out of context.  And, don't expect the mainstream media to set the record straight!

Are The Extreme TSA Pat-Downs Another "Green Scheme"?

Just recently, a 95 year old woman with cancer was forced, by a TSA airport screener, to shed her soiled adult diaper for inspection in what can only be considered the ultimate embarrassment in a series of embarrassing tactics being used by Homeland Security. Everyday, travelers are having their "privates" groped by a bunch of non-medical personnel of the TSA. And, if you're not being groped, you're being scanned by a device that literally gives any viewing TSA agent an opportunity at sexual voyeurism because the images are just that revealing.

Call me the super cynic but isn't it possible that there is a more sinister reason behind this intentional embarrassment of our traveling public than simply trying to prevent terrorism?

Initially, it was my belief that all these pat downs and extra screenings were part of a planned move by this labor-supported Administration to grow the overall number of TSA agents; and, I still believe this to be true. This is especially true in light of the fact that the Obama Administration gave the green light for the TSA to unionize.

But, now, I think there's another reason. I think it is being done for environmental reasons in the hope to discourage overall air travel. I know my wife refuses to fly because of these pat-downs and those "nude" scans. When you really think about it, commercial aircraft are big greenhouse gas polluters and Obama and his little green minions are totally fixated on fighting climate change. For sure, any reduced air traffic would definitely fit the bill in saving the planet.

OK, maybe I'm wrong. But, if am, don't you think that the Department of Homeland Security would "cool it" in an effort to avoid all the bad press they've been getting?