Thursday, July 24, 2008

Public abuse and x-rated searches now common.



Every day millions of Americans, and foreign tourists, are subjected to humiliating and often abusive treatment by the morons who work for the Orwellian Homeland Security Department’s Transportation Security Administration.

In this report one television station documents some of the cases that continue to pop up as clueless, classless apes get hired by government to harass and intimidate people. What is astounding is that the TSA brags that they are doing something right because only 112,000 complaints have been filed against them.

I have regularly been subjected to “extra” security checks every time I force myself to fly through U.S. airspace. I have been barked at and threatened by the uniformed goons at the airports. In one case I was delayed by a TSA thug who refused to let anyone through security until everyone trying to get in was standing in a “straight line”. He kept barking about the straight line as if he were taking second graders to the bathroom during a school break.

I have been fondled by people who I wouldn’t voluntarily let near me. I have been swabbed in public as if I were a dangerous criminal. I had one official take my suitcase and dump it out on a table while he pushed through my belongings with a pencil. As he dumped everything I was carrying in public view he screamed at me” YOU will stand behind that line. YOU will not touch your things until I give you permission.”

In one case I was subjected to numerous test, one right after the other. First, I was X-rayed and cleared. But that wasn’t enough. Next I was put in some chamber where they “sniffed” me. Then I had the wand run all over me. Not finding anything they then patted me down. I was then take aside where they used a chemical swab on everything I carried but mainly my shoes, my briefcase and my laptop and wallet. Then I was subjected to another very hands-on pat down all in public view.

As the TSA official and a female assistant finished this extensive and embarrassing search he announced: “I am required to tell you that all this can be done in private if you request but since I’m finished anyway that wouldn’t make much sense.” Obviously his routine is to only inform people that they have the option of some privacy after it is too late for them to utilize it. But this way, if he is ever asked he can claim that all his victims were informed of their options -- if only when it was too late.

Even though there were times that I was livid about how badly I was treated I never filed a complaint. Like many I don’t see any use in it. Even if something is done about it I am the one who has to collect information and then deal with another brain-dead TSA official. I have to get the name of the harassing or rude employee. Right! Like I’m going to question people who have been filmed attacking passengers who question their authority. Just asking for a name so I can file a complaint later could mean missing my flight or worse.

The TSA may brag about “only” 112,000 complaints. I’m amazed they got any. The system is set up against the public and in favor of the travel Gestapo. They have all the power and most of us don’t want to take the risk of complaining. Many no doubt fear that an official complaint will only put them on the “watch” list with 1 million other Americans and that will mean extra harassment everytime they fly -- if they are allowed to fly.

Of course the whole TSA search is pretty much ineffective. All the 9/11 hijackers went through airport security and were cleared. And if terrorists were wanting to kill a lot of people there are millions of opportunities to do so. One bomb in a briefcase, which is set off at one of the long TSA backups that routinely accumulate large numbers of people into a small area could kill hundreds. A bomb in the New York subway during rush hour could kill thousands.

There are multiple targets that could be used and which would effectively kill thousands at a time. The most we can say about the TSA is that they might force terrorists to pick other targets, targets which can never all be secured by any means. But then we have also seen that with all the barking, rudeness, harassing and humiliation the TSA routinely fails security checks. Devices that can be assembled as bombs get through all the time.

It is doubtful that any of this increases public safety since so many alternative targets exist. Any terrorist who wants to kill large numbers of people won’t be short of ways to do so. But it does accustom Americans to the routine of being herded about like compliant cattle by armed government thugs. It teaches obedience and silence. Speaking up when subjected to abuse may lead to arrest and certainly will lead to assault and being denied the right to travel.

I remember reading an account of an inmate in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. He wrote how inmates tried not to be noticed. They were silent, heads bowed as they feared to look the guards in the eyes. Anything that made one stick out was dangerous.

Now watch people in line at TSA. There is often complete silence from the inmates—— I mean passengers. They shuffle through processing complying with every order. Most say nothing. They speak only when spoken to. They try not to look into the eyes of the travel Gestapo. People don’t want to be singled out by these goons so they try not to stand out. Don’t be noticed is the rule. Don’t talk back. Don’t question them. And whatever you do NEVER invoke any of your Constitutional rights. And maybe if you are quiet and compliant and obedient these thugs will let you catch your flight. The TSA method of dealing with the public is training citizen to act like sheep.