The American Spectator : I Was Wrong

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I Was Wrong

By R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. on 11.24.10 @ 4:33PM

John Maynard Keynes would have understood our problem with TSA.

WASHINGTON -- "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" So said John Maynard Keynes when a dearly held belief of his was confronted by new facts. He changed his mind and was not ashamed. I am an extreme empiricist. Show me the facts, and I shall make up my mind. Show me the new facts, and I shall change my mind.

Last week, goaded by Drudge's hordes, I took my stand against the opponents of the scan and the pat-down. I thought they were hysterics and very funny or provocateurs and obnoxious. Also, they inspired in me a few facetious sallies. That vulgarian, John Tyner, who won himself a place in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations For Slobs by telling the patters-downers, "If you touch my junk, I'll have you arrested," was too much. Junk? Speak for yourself Mr. Tyner. I filed my column, dismissing the protesters and confident that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), though essentially bureaucrats, was saving us from another 9/11. Then all hell broke out.

Even on The American Spectator website I was excoriated, sometimes courteously but not always. I did note a disconcerting current of thoughtfulness among my critics -- and, of course, a love of liberty. Could this be another manifestation of the Tea Party movement, that admirably liberty-loving band that has risen in the land? It had all the earmarks of intelligence, intellectual rigor, and regard for constitutional liberty. Big brother, stand back! Moreover, some of my colleagues at the magazine were in a state of rebellion, one being Mark Hyman who having served in intelligence in the 1980s is given to writing very thoughtfully about security matters. He thought the TSA a joke. Maybe Drudge's hordes were right. Maybe the TSA was taking liberties. Possibly it is the TSA that should be screened for sex offenders and other weirdoes in its ranks.

The next day I hopped the Acela down to Washington from New York. Naturally I chose the quiet car. I chose it as much for the quiet as for the gigantic controversies when one of quietude's neurotics runs into a rider who cannot read the "Quiet Car" signs that abound or does not care. KABOOM, the maniac for quiet blows up and creates a charming fracas. It never fails to amuse me. At any rate, I was halfway to D.C. when Sean Hannity's aide called saying Sean would a word with me upon my 4:00 o'clock arrival in our nation's capital. He too was among my critics.

I was not in the station ten minutes when my cell phone rang and on came Sean with a 32-year veteran female pilot who had been violated by a member of TSA. How could I take sides with the violator? Okay, okay, Sean, I have changed my mind. By then I was confronted by a whole new set of facts. One, my friend Hyman had demonstrated the follies of the TSA. They have committed egregious blunders. Two, there were new, even more barbaric ways to secrete a bomb. For one, the savage who almost killed the head of Saudi intelligence had secreted it in his -- the polite word is -- body cavity. Bombs carried in this manner could not be caught by the scanner or a team of TSA's best. Three, there was a whole array of freedom issues here, and one could not take them lightly. This was, if not the Tea Party movement at least it was the impulse that gave the Tea Party life, a love of personal liberty that is not found in many nations of the earth.

Then there was a fourth consideration. This whole controversy is unnecessary. The Israelis have found a way to avoid it and to avoid savages blowing up airplanes. It is by intelligent, non-intrusive profiling. The Israeli agent picks a suspect. The agent stands very close to the suspect and asks questions in a rapid fire manner, preventing the suspects from considering their answers. The Israelis watch for behavioral reactions that merit further inspection. By contrast, TSA behavioral detection officers' (BDO) techniques are a joke.

This hang-up about profiling is at the root of our problem. It is a false piety practiced by the ancien régime. There is a whole new set of facts presented by the war on terror. It is time for Americans, with Keynes as their guide, to change their minds.

About the Author

R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. is the founder and editor in chief of The American Spectator. He is the author of the forthcoming The Death of Liberalism, published by Thomas Nelson Inc. His previous books include the New York Times bestseller Boy Clinton: the Political Biography; The Impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton; The Liberal Crack-Up; The Conservative Crack-Up; Public Nuisances; The Future that Doesn't Work: Social Democracy's Failure in Britain; Madame Hillary: The Dark Road to the White House; The Clinton Crack-Up; and After the Hangover: The Conservatives' Road to Recovery.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (161) | Leave a comment

darcy| 11.24.10 @ 4:43PM

Let me be the first, since I see no others have yet responded, to welcome you back into the freedom-loving fold, and that with open arms.

Vern Crisler| 11.25.10 @ 12:50AM

I don't know as Mr. Tyrrell ever left the "freedom-loving fold." The fact is there are some extremist libertarians out there who hate any form of government, no matter how small. They problem is that they cry wolf so much that it's hard to get to the bottom of the matter.

Yes, TSA workers can make mistakes, even abuse their power. Such things should be subject to review and sanction for those who do it willfully.

But the Israeli method would be even more intrusive and offensive, so it's a non-starter in America.

The best thing to do is fix the problem areas. RET was right to object to irrational opposition to necessary security precautions.

darcy| 11.25.10 @ 1:30AM

Well, Vern, thank you for your opinion.

Your irrational and totally fallacious argument about Israeli screening measures tells me you're happy to see American citizens endure increasingly greater denials of their Constitutional rights.

Look, if we're going to offend anyone let us at least offend those who are among the same class of person as those who slaughtered us on 9/11. And leave OUR children alone, dammit!

You go ahead and get groped and scanned; be the sheep you are. As for me: I'll pass.

If Big stupid incompetano sis insists on treating Americans as the enemy, she might just be creating the very thing she's ostensibly guarding us from. What a complete boob. Meanwhile, the practitioners of Islam laugh in their beards over the utter foul and filthy habits of Westerners who permit their women and children to be molested because they're afraid of what some depraved jihadist might do. And happy as a lark they are for having the power to degrade us so.

Vern Crisler| 11.25.10 @ 1:57AM

Well, darcy, feel free to fly on al-Kaboom Airlines if you don't like security precautions. Extreme libertarians like you probably think red lights at intersections are products of the fascist state.

Maudie N Mandeville| 11.25.10 @ 9:37AM

No thanks, I'll choose El Al, and not have to worry about your TSA gropers or your muslim terrorists. And you can explain it to your 5 year old.

Quartermaster| 11.25.10 @ 1:15PM

I'm for granting El Al cabotage. Let them fly from airports that opt out of TSA's nonsense and let El Al handle the security themselves. I bet they bury the US airlines inside of 6 months. It would serve them right.

Those who claim the Israeli methods can't be scaled up are either utter ignoramuses, or lying. They handle about one sixth the passenger load we do and could easily scale it up to our volumes.

darcy| 11.25.10 @ 5:57PM

It is true, you know, Vern, that according to a Washington Post/ABC poll conducted earlier this week that 51% of the American public oppose the new TSA groping security measures.

What's it called when a majority have a given view? I don't thinks it's called extreme, and you don't really, do you?

JK| 11.28.10 @ 5:20PM

To Verne and his like, it's probably called tyranny of the majority. Defined here as that syndrome when a majority, any majority, refuses to sanction the sort of "security" measures to which Verne and his like plight their troth---for our own damn good, don'tcha know . . .

Maudie N Mandeville| 11.25.10 @ 9:33AM

Right on, darcy. "even more intrusive and offensive?? Israel population is 17% muslim and Israelis think we are nuts. It's just how much we want to give in to 'our .8% muslims' (that's point 8%).

Spazmatic| 11.25.10 @ 10:07AM

TSA has a new slogan: "We've got airline passengers by the balls"

JK| 11.28.10 @ 5:24PM

Imagine what it would mean to some of the old airline slogans. I don't think they want to go there with flying the friendly skies, and I'm sure they don't want to borrow from the late Pan Am. ("You can't beat the experience.") Or, from the late Allegheny Airlines. ("The airline with the hometown touch.") And I don't even want to think about what they'd do with passengers about to board the late Access Air, either. But perhaps they ought to borrow from another late airline: Is this any way to run airport security? You bet it isn't.

Quartermaster| 11.25.10 @ 1:16PM

The Israelies don't think we are nuts. They know we are nuts. They're right too. PC is a leftist mental illness. Alas, much of the population has it too.

Joe B.| 11.25.10 @ 10:01AM

Vern, the Israeli technique is based on understanding attack vectors and knowing human psychology. It goes to the core of probable cause. Therefore, it is significantly less intrusive to those who are least likely to be terrorists, and that is the goal. All of life is a weighing of costs and benefits, the possible (TSA) versus the probable (Israel). You can go on your theatrically sanitized flight if you like, but I would rather be on a flight that had no terrorists on board, probabilistically speaking. But if the price of admission to any fight is the surrender of my God-given right to protect and control my own person, the cost is too high at any price.

Vern Crisler| 11.25.10 @ 11:41PM

Joe, the tour group my brother and his family was in was interrogated for a long time before being allowed on an airplane in Israel. My niece is blonde and she was interrogated for having a book on how to speak Arabic. If TSA were to do that sort of thing in America, these same extreme libertarians would be the first to start howling.

MAJ Mike| 11.29.10 @ 7:23PM

Vern--While you are correct that certain people will object to any means of identifying terrorists that inconveniences them, the TSA guidelines must be evaluated on their merits. The issue is, do they provide protection? And the answer is no, they do not, for several reasons.

First, the assumption that all people are equally likely to commit terrorist acts is irrational, but acting on that assumption and diverting resources to patting down people who are not a threat means that the agents involved in the patting down/scanning of obvious innocents cannot watch a crowd for behavioral cues. This misdirection works like a magician's sleight of hand, except that what is being hidden is a real danger.

Second, the pursuit of inadequate security creates complacency. People assume that activity equals results, and become less alert to threats.

Third, the imposition of longer waits to go through security checkpoints creates longer lines which are vulnerable to attack. This creates new areas of vulnerability by restricting movement.

Finally, the intrusiveness of the new protocols invites resistance and divides the public, which serves no one so much as the terrorists.

From a tactical perspective, the TSA's new guidelines are deeply flawed and seriously counterproductive. The fact that they also undermine traditional American concepts of liberty while providing poor security simply compounds the problem.

Bud Parker| 12.1.10 @ 4:34PM

Vern,

The words "small" and "government" are mutually exclusive. One does not apply to the other. The term "Agency," as in TSA, implies gargantuan in size. At what point will logical thought impede TSA progress toward infringement of citizen's rights? Will Bus Stations be next? Or, traffic stops on the Interstates, like Weigh Stations? Maybe Shopping Malls.

Government cannot think in terms of restrictive size of diminished interference in citizen's lives. Hence, we have massive tax load to fund runaway government programs. How many "Civil Servants" are employed by Uncle Sam? You don't know, do you?

Government programs equate into wealth for selected companies and corporations. That, my friend, is why there are so damned many of them. Who is getting remarkably wealthy selling scanner technology? Who's political coffers are they stuffing with "campaign donations?"

I'll see you in the bread line.

Deborah D| 11.27.10 @ 7:33AM

I read on another blog a brilliant idea: When you buy your ticket you should have three choices of screening techniques: the full body scanner, the groping, or to be profiled. I choose being profiled! Who, other than someone planning to bring something on a plane would choose anything other than being profiled?

Bud Parker| 12.1.10 @ 4:41PM

Sorry Deborah, you have no choice in the matter in today's America. Soon we residents of the various States in America will come to the conclusion that our State Elected Officials will have to come on line and employ Nullification in order to regain control of our runaway Federal Government. Both Republicans and Democrats are to blame. Each Party is simply a leg connected to the body of the Fed's. First the Left foot, then the Right foot; walking down the primrose path.

James Pierson| 11.24.10 @ 4:47PM

When I saw your anti-"hordes of Drudge" piece I was initially a little shocked at its content, but then I thought, "Well, everyone's entitled to their opinion. Unpopular ideas often merit a second look. And what do you do with a guy like Tyrrell, anyway? Once a contrarian, always a contrarian." Today, I have to admire your saying, "I didn't know all the facts, and I have changed my mind because I was wrong." We could wish more people were able to see the errors of their ways in real time -- the Keynesian in the White House, for one.

darcy| 11.24.10 @ 4:51PM

It may also interest you to know, dear Mr. Tyrrell, that internal memos from the DHS reveal a move on their part to deny to us, not only our 4th Amendment rights in the name of security, but our First Amendment rights for speaking out against the loss of our 4th Amendment rights.

It's having a domino effect. These are interesting times I would rather not live through; but there you have it; it is what it is. And we will cough up a collective and forceful NO, or it will be all downhill from here.

Please follow the link to learn of which I write.
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/30286

Nurse Ratched| 11.25.10 @ 10:34AM

Thank goodness for the TSA!

When they closed the psychiatric hospital I worried that I would never find a job that I liked again. Getting hired at the TSA is the best thing that ever happened to me. I love my job and the benefits are fantastic.

Billy Bibb| 11.28.10 @ 2:21PM

D-d-d-don't t-t-t-touch ma-mi-my juh-ju-j-j-junk, Nuh-nuh-nuh-nurse Ruh-ruh-ruh-Ratched!
Or at least don't tell my mother.
Billy

JeffW| 11.24.10 @ 4:58PM

It takes a big man to admit he made a mistake. I always knew you were a big man who kept a open mind. Glad to see my impression wasn't wrong.

By the way, Big Sis is looking at trains next.

Patriot| 11.25.10 @ 12:35AM

And college and professional sporting events.
Porno-scanners will be everywhere if we allow it.

BStannus| 11.24.10 @ 4:59PM

Dear Sir, The security issues are caused completely by the lack of critisism of the violence, by the Muslim Church leaders. If those leaders would come out together in condemnation of a) Suicide Bombers, b) killing of civilians, and c) violence in the public arena, and further, deny that there are, for example, 72 virgins awaiting the martyr who blows himself up, or heavenly rewards, the number of incidents, and the threat of violence would be significantly reduced. How would this happen? If the Security agency targeted, by profile, all those likely to be followers of such Muslim beliefs. There should be pressure on the mullahs, from ordinary Muslims to reduce the suspicion by removing the support for violence. Let the moderate Muslims, who don't believe in violence, pressure the Mullahs who have refused to condemn it, to publicly deny the terrorists their support. By treating bombers as heroes and martyrs, they prepare the next set of suicide bombers. Muslims need to protest the results of their own religion. Profiling, reasonable profiling, is the only way to do it. Shame on the Muslim religion for not condemning this violent behaviour.

Sir sir| 11.27.10 @ 11:20PM

Dear Sir,
Simple is as simple does.
Read the Koran before posting again.
Thank you.

ds80| 11.28.10 @ 9:49AM

"Sir sir"... what the hell is your point?

Ken (Old Texican)| 11.24.10 @ 5:00PM

Welcome home, Emmett!
Have a thankful thanksgiving.
Highest regards
Ken

Brubaker| 11.24.10 @ 5:05PM

Mr. Tyrrell, congratulations on reconsidering the available facts and reaching what I fervently believe to be the correct conclusion.

mames| 11.24.10 @ 5:06PM

well said and welcome back to sanity and freedom.

peterp| 11.24.10 @ 5:10PM

Good on ya, Mr Tyrrell. I was one of those who was civil, but extremely hard on your position. Glad to see you reconsider, we all make mistakes, what is harder to admit them. My hat is off to you, sir.

Alan Brooks| 11.24.10 @ 5:11PM

Yes, you will destroy enough of those at the bottom of the food chain to boost the economy.
As dictatorship is destroying others politically;
democracy is destroying others economically.
And the sovereign individual can be almost completely buffered; no wonder Trump wants to run for POTUS- what does he have to lose? He is on top.

Game over, You win.

Alan Noise| 11.24.10 @ 5:41PM

Snap, crackle, pop

Skippy| 11.24.10 @ 5:54PM

Alan, WTF are you talking about(as usual)?

Alan Brooks| 11.24.10 @ 6:30PM

I did NOT write that last one- must have been a wild-eyed rightwinger from Dixie- they take your ID and think they are doing God's will.

Wes| 11.26.10 @ 8:37AM

Alan, as a conservative from Dixie, regarding your last comment, keep your narrow prejudice to yourself. Your comment does not bear the resonance of real observation, and displays your own arrogance toward people of faith that you don't agree with.

Alan Brooks| 11.26.10 @ 6:34PM

But if you believe in good and bad spirits, then you know good and bad faiths exist as well.

jon| 11.24.10 @ 6:11PM

the words you use are in the english language...but there is no coherent thought. maybe it makes sense to you... are you on medical weed... or....

Alan Brooks| 11.24.10 @ 6:37PM

You will boost the economy by crushing some economically.
As don Barzini said:
"after all, we are not Communists."

You will KILL economically.

Patriot| 11.25.10 @ 12:38AM

Brooks doesn't need weed to make a fool of himself--his freakish liberal parents ruined him a long time ago. Or maybe it's just another acid trip.

John McG| 11.24.10 @ 10:47PM

Is Alan Brooks anagrammatic kin to A. Loon Barks? This is less comprehensible than Dutch Schultz's last words.

Alan Brooks| 11.26.10 @ 6:37PM

You WILL cut spending starting next year, but by destroying others economically.

Alan Brooks| 11.28.10 @ 4:29PM

So there is no mistake:
you win, that is the important thing.
You win; Game Over.

alrighty?

Cabermon| 11.24.10 @ 5:17PM

The Israelis say that we look for bombs and they look for terrorists. Simple as that.

Happy Thanksgiving

wes| 11.26.10 @ 8:38AM

That's correct. The book "Start Up Nation" discusses Israeli security measures, and their demonstrated effectivness. The Israeli's are quite good at what they do.

LBryan| 11.24.10 @ 5:21PM

Well done my friend.

John Navratil| 11.24.10 @ 5:35PM

I'm glad you've had the change of heart. Now let's start looking for the bad guys.

Richard DeMott| 11.25.10 @ 9:29PM

If you want to look for bad guys, I would start in Washington D.C.

Curly Smith| 11.24.10 @ 6:15PM

It's not that the whole controversy is unnecessary... Sec. Clinton said we needed the screenings because the terrorists continue to adapt their tactics. Fair enough, except the scanners wouldn't have detected the "Fruit of Kaboom Bomber" and most certainly won't detect the next evolution. If the exercise were simply unnecessary then it wouldn't matter if we did it or not. However, we're devoting vast sums and directing enormous amounts of manpower in futile screenings that only serve as a drain of the economy, infringe on the rights of passengers, and impede the free flow of goods and services. The screenings are nothing less than an in-your-face demonstration of power, which accounts for the exemptions for those in power. Why screen yourself?

Good on you for reconsidering your position.

chris haynes| 11.24.10 @ 6:31PM

Now let's start looking for the bad guys!!!!!

Done. I Found them. Here they are:

Holocaust enablers, I figure that's bad guys. President Obama, the Clintons, all the Democrats, Gullianni, Lieberman, Scott Brown, Condeleeza Rice, Karl Rove, David Souter, Sandra Day OConnor, John Paul Stevens, Colin Powell, Bloomberg, Gates, Buffett.

They brought us 45,000,000 abortions, that's the biggest holcaust in history.

Now that we've found the bad guys, what do want to do with them? How about the same as the last time? Trial for crimes against humanity?

Alan Brooks| 11.24.10 @ 6:35PM

Alright: it is elementary:

Some gotta win; some gotta lose,
Good Time Charlie blames the Jews.

Laura| 11.24.10 @ 6:47PM

Although I was surprised at your original opinion, I respect your opinion so much that I never questioned it. Your "Junk. Speak for yourself Mr. Tyner" is classic! As I said before, before conservative talk radio became what it is today, American Spectator led the way. Great article today!!!

DaveS| 11.24.10 @ 6:53PM

Porous border; secure (from toddlers) airports. Go figure. Now, profiling had always been a screening method of choice - though its popularity started to wane when the head of the New Jersey state police caved on it a decade ago over a legitimate luxury sports car traffic stop on the Turnpike. Napolitano holds diametrically opposing viewpoints (a particularly liberal phenomenon) at the same time: criticize Arizona over sovereignty borders while pursuing a pointless search for terrorists at airports. And the success hypothesis for the TSA system cannot be denied: if nothing happens, we succeeded. If we find something (planted or otherwise) we succeeded. TSA cannot be proved wrong except by the electorate's representatives.

Dan Smith| 11.24.10 @ 7:36PM

Consider the following:

1) Clothing exists that will block the frequencies currently in use. Can an individual "fail" a machine inspection?

2) TSA is apparently not allowed to go with its hands into your underwear.

3) Machines that scan people will be in general use in most public locations by 2020.

4) These machines will become portable, like D-SLR's, by 2025.

The world of 2025 will be far different than today's.

wes| 11.26.10 @ 8:40AM

Dan, there are several reports of the TSA going into individuals underwear. That should be noted.

Lloyd| 11.24.10 @ 7:39PM

I am disappointed. I thought your first column was satire. Now you claim it was not. It read as a more helpful commentary as satire.

Frank Mendez| 11.25.10 @ 4:19AM

I remain convinced that the original piece was poking a stick at the foaming raccoon that is TSA. The very trademark of an R. Emmett article is his archly subtle post-modern accent applied for the conservative argument. At least as performance art, this article and its reader response is boffo good press work. I insist RET joins me in a celebratory cocktail!

Maudie Johnson| 11.24.10 @ 8:06PM

1st of all, JMK never changed his mind, on the whole. You, RET, are a f'ing joke. One week later, after a barrage of negative comments, in order to save your rep, you concede and apologize. The only person I've never heard apologize is Ann Coulter. Maybe she can loan you one so you will have two.

Andrew_M_Garland| 11.24.10 @ 8:41PM

(Hat tip to psychologist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross)

The five stages of undersanding the TSA:

Denial: This can't be as stupid as it seems. The TSA must have thought about this, and it must have come to a sensible determination of what is needed for our safety. I will show that I am strong by complying with the rules.

Anger: This is so degrading, useless, and a waste. Why me? It is obvious that I am not a terrorist. I'm travelling with my family. My 3 year old isn't a terrorist. Don't they have eyes, or a bit of common sense? What is the sense in these rules? I'm flying from New York to Kansas, for crying out loud.

Bargaining: OK, I'll go through the machine. Just don't pick me out for "special treatment". If I'm very cooperative, I can hold on to my 3 year old, right? And you won't fondle my child, right? I'll give you my toothpaste if you let him keep the teddy bear, right?

Depression: This is terrible, but what can I do? I will comply. I will just think happy thoughts as he (ugh! oomph!) does what is required, and I hope not more. Is anyone looking? It doesn't really matter. This will all be over in a while. I can't do anything about this. I will just hope that they improve their policy in the future. I'll wait. It might get better, or maybe not, who cares.

Acceptance: I now see. The TSA is part of bigger government policy. Beyond the TSA, there is a government that wants to do so much good. And, now they are doing it to me. I wanted a government which would "nudge" people into proper choices. I now see that they have the power, and no restraint.

They won't stop themselves, and I don't have the power to stop them. Even "we" don't have that power for now. My concern can't be just the TSA. I must be concerned about government power in general.

This is an example of what they are willing to do in the complete open. What must they be doing behind the scenes in thousands of ways?

I must endure the TSA for now. My fellow citizens must endure all of those government agencies for now. If I accept that government always goes too far, I will have the courage to take away most government power. Instead, I'll rely on policies that I can accept or reject as an individual. I will support the politicians who will limit the government.

Mel Torme| 11.24.10 @ 8:43PM

Maudie, I don't think Ann Coulter ever had a reason to apologize. I've never read anything she wrote that was factually wrong.

Hey, Mr. Tyrell it takes a big man too admit he is wrong, and you are that big man ;-) However, I still don't think you, and most people, understand the gravity of the problem. It's not just the naked pictures and the groping - that's just the part that is the last straw for many. The illegal searches should have been fought from the get-go, at the time of the TSA's formation.

One of the commenters told me I shouldn't be worried about the past regarding the TSA. I don't think he understood. Unlike in money market funds, past behavior is indeed a predictor of future performance. If people only fight for their freedom when they are personally just too inconvenienced, we will not stand against the tyranny of the US Gov't. in the long run.

Peter O'Toole| 11.25.10 @ 5:29AM

Conservatives are known as thoughtful stewards of wealth. In this spirit, Mr. Tyrrell expresses pride in his qualification as a member of the male gender.

Maudie N Mandeville| 11.25.10 @ 9:47AM

Sorry Mel. That was my point. How can you think about a topic and write about it, then in under a week, apologize for your acute and masterful thinking? I for one, lose respect. And if it's because of pc (which obviously this isn't; it's of RET's rep and survival) that would be when Ann would have to 'loan' him one of hers bc as you say she says what she means and doubles down in the face of liberal criticism (and always enjoys it).

darcy| 11.24.10 @ 10:08PM

He is a she, Mel Torme. And the truth of the matter is you have to deal the hand you're dealt.

Certainly I would wish that the breaking point, or entry point for resistance, as it were, occurred far earlier than it does for many people. But that's not something you nor I can control.

What we can control, or speed along -- as the Paul and Paulette Revere's that we are -- is a commitment to action. NOW.

Stop your bloody boo-hooing about the past and use your creative energies and passion to stand on the rooftops and shout NO MORE.

We ARE STANDING against the tyranny, as one by one Americans wake up to the thug tyrant that is Obama, his puppeteers and his minions.

Mel Torme| 11.24.10 @ 10:41PM

Yeah, I should have figured, Darcy is a girl's name, but it isn't always. Sorry.

I wish I could believe that a majority of Americans are as freedom-loving as you say. The things I see lately make me think otherwise. Emmett Tyrell is a good example.

It's not about boo-hooing the past. I just got done writing (I'll cut and paste): "Unlike in money market funds, past behavior is indeed a predictor of future performance.". I guess you don't understand what I mean by that.

It's not just about Obama, either; that is part of my point. This tyranny has been creeping up over the last 75 years (depending on who you ask), but I would say since GHW Bush, the bad stuff and real reductions in our freedom have happened, and the majority of Americans don't seem to have cared much. What that means is, by the time a serious-enough-to-not-be-ignored mass of people are clued in, it could be way too late.

Nobody's who's short of suicidal is going to be able to put up any resistance, Darcy, once every conversation can be listened to, scanners are in every doorway, and the guns have been taken anyway.

I hope you are right, as I'm not arguing this for my health.

darcy| 11.24.10 @ 11:29PM

It occurs to me that a 63-GOP pick up in the House is a solid indication of mass resistance.

Let's not be too glum, Mel Torme, but remember that with the cards stacked against them, the most powerful empire in Europe as their foe and more than twenty-percent of colonials being loyalists, still the American Revolutionaries gained independence by sheer grit, determination, and moral conviction.

Granted, technology presents a clear advantage to the state who taxes us to spy on us; but unless I am very much mistaken, there remain significant numbers of patriots who will exert their last full measure of devotion to unwind an increasingly authoritarian regime.

I don't think it an exageration to say that as during the cold war many Americans declared Better Dead than Red, there are those today of like mind vis a vis the statist regime.

At any rate, the VERY best thing you can do is pray. And I do mean that.

darcy| 11.24.10 @ 11:43PM

And just a little side note. It's not so much Money Market Funds that come with the disclaimer to the effect that past performance is no guarantee of future performance; but rather it is Mutual Funds, comprised of stocks or bonds and sometimes cash-equivalents, or all three, in various proportions, depending upon the funds' objectives.

So I do understand a little about the point you were making. For people, past is prologue. For investments, not so much. But there are a thousand pasts, for people. Let's choose the one where the good guys win, shall we?

Mel Torme| 11.25.10 @ 7:40AM

Thank you for your correction re: mutual funds, Darcy. I didn't think of the correct word at the time (or at least the term that my phrase is applied to most).

Now, a correction for you. The expression was normally "Better Red than Dead", and that was uttered by people with the same mind set as "better safe than sorry" regarding giving up 4th Amendment rights at the airport (and coming to other venues near you). That's just what I recall, Darcy.

There are not a thousand pasts for people - I think you meant futures. I don't know if 20 % of Americans are up for anything like the sacrifices made by are forefathers - I think of General Washington's camp in Valley Forge over one cold winter over 240 years ago, and I think we are not the same people. Who knows though - I pray you are right.

Happy Thanksgiving.

darcy| 11.25.10 @ 4:11PM

Yes, you are right to correct me on the Better Red than Dead slogan; I think I remembered it the way it applied to me, as I had rejected the original.

A thousand pasts, a thousand futures? Perhaps you're right again -- but I'm wondering if the past doesn't come in to sharper focus until the future.

That is, for example, who knew that the Tea Party brewing during 2009 was actually a real force to be reckoned with? We had the tell-tell signs, for anyone objective enough to see them, even though the MSM sought to dismiss the movement altogether.

Just a thought. We don't really know who we are until we're tested; and so far the testing is showing good results, as the 63 GOP house seats pick-up indicate. I'm not at all saying that the forces arrayed against us are not formidable; what I am saying is that even as I write, the good guys are taking sides and taking action.

GreyLion| 11.25.10 @ 3:29PM

Good Lord, Mel, are you quitting the fight? It sure sounds like it.
Let me give you ONE reason to be hopeful. There are a good many of us who are not going to give up our guns or our God, bitter clingers that we are, and that makes us the 800 or so pound gorilla in the room with the bureaucrats (and they are the real problem). Interestingly enough the center of gravity in this nation still rests with the 100 million or so of citizens soldiers (and United States Marines). Mel - do not underestimate or overlook them.

Mel Torme| 11.26.10 @ 4:15PM

Nope, I'm not quitting anything, Greylion. I didn't mean for my post to sound like that. I think many Americans don't have any spirit of freedom in their soul anymore. It's just a matter of how large a group the rest of us are.

tgusa| 11.24.10 @ 10:22PM

Never one to retreat on American liberty I look forward to the confrontation with the wrong headed totalitarians. IMO, it is about time.

BackToBasics| 11.24.10 @ 10:46PM

Good news and appreciated by me and many others.

John McG| 11.24.10 @ 10:49PM

Dear Mr. Tyrrell,

Thank you, and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Paul Milenkovic| 11.24.10 @ 11:46PM

CNN is crowing about how the protest Thanksgiving slowdown in the security lines is not materializing and that the lines on the Wednesday before T-Day are moving at a brisk clip -- no more than 10-12 minutes to clear security.

Do you suppose, just suppose, that the word came down from On High that 2012 will be here just-before-you-know-it-if-you-know-what-I-mean, and the order went out to maybe just cool it on the more intrusive pat-downs and just hustle people through the security lines to prove all the critics wrong? Do you think the current resident of 1600 PA AVE is savvy enough to just quitely make something happen when their is enough motivation?

Do you think the TSA was ordered to conduct a Thanksgiving Holiday speed-up to smooth things over with the pitchfork-wielding townfolk? Do you think that the same man who made such a public spectacle and such a Charlie Foxtrot of the Gulf Oil spill has "gotten religion" and is now working quietly and efficiently from letting this thing do him political damage? There might be a big story here.

Vern Crisler| 11.25.10 @ 12:55AM

Or it could be extremist (mainly from the Lew Rockwell site) were crying wolf? As they did with Y2K.

Appleby| 11.25.10 @ 7:08AM

Or, as happened in Atlanta and Miami, the folks simply decided to avoid the whole situation and travel by other means than the airlines. After all, it has been 20 years since steerage class air travel was significantly better than the Greyhound anyway, and when you have the kids strapped into their space capsules in the back of the minivan and plenty of DVDs, snacks and cold drinks at hand, driving can be much more pleasant than flying. Personally I am considering taking the train to Sebring this year; its not that much more expensive and far more pleasant altogther.

ds80| 11.28.10 @ 9:58AM

Are you in IT, Vern? Were you, in 1999? Say something to let us judge your credibility re: making sweeping statements about Y2K. How many billions we spent remediating faulty systems? What? You have no clue? Just as I thought.

Publius| 11.24.10 @ 11:54PM

If darcy's references to the DHS memo turn out to be accurate, it may be time for men (and women) of good conscience to openly oppose the police state that the federal government is seeking to impose.

Mondo Frazier| 11.25.10 @ 12:48AM

It takes a big man to admit a mistake.

Now, start busting some TSA/DHS chops for the fascist way they're trying to disguise "control" for "safety."

Congrats!

HouTexan| 11.25.10 @ 1:36AM

One of my father's favorite sayings was "A smart man changes his mind." No kidding.

bob alou| 11.25.10 @ 1:51AM

Thank you,

smokincol| 11.25.10 @ 3:23AM

you can stick fingers into body cavities to check for the existence of things that go "boom" but, the best and only way to really do it is to profile, just like the Israelis. theirs is proven to work. the fact that granny will not, and I don't believe there were any 80 year old grannies flying the planes on September 11, be subjected to indecent gropes and grasps is assured. I am personally insulted when I am subjected to any search procedures, no matter where they are. born in this country, fought for this country and will die for this country if that has to happen, to be subjected to these procedures is likening me to an islamist terrorist, and I resent that greatly.

Wayne | 11.25.10 @ 3:08PM

Lars Larson defends the groping. He keeps asking those against it to define exactly when the search goes too far. I would like to extend that question to him. At what point does it go to far? How about telling women to take out their tampons? After all wouldn't a tampon be a good place to put explosive material? It even seems to have a fuse.

Mel Torme| 11.26.10 @ 4:17PM

haha, Wayne. That was good! I think they are those long-term 28-day fuses.

Ron Hyatt| 11.25.10 @ 3:47AM

Turn out the lights, America's over. The best one can hope for is a complete collapse.

JadedByPolitics| 11.25.10 @ 4:20AM

Well, that is quite gracious of you. I heard you on Hannity and had read you that morning and thought well finally, those who were mocking Americans who found the TSA's action heavy handed are starting to see the stupidity of this sheeple action. The TSA like every employer around the Country hires people who turn out to be quite undesirable and use their positions to hurt others. The bottom line is, the TSA a month ago is getting just as much information as they are with these atrocious new regulations except they are now destroying the fabric of America in the process!

OBTW if you do not think that Obama and Company would like to nationalize the airline industry then I got a bridge to sell you.

Intelligent Design| 11.25.10 @ 6:48AM

President Kennedy announced the man on the moon goal on 5/25/61. It was accomplished 7/20/69. By comparison, the progress made by the TSA since 9/11/01 is dismal and completely unacceptable.

Why hasn't technology been used to profile and pre-screen airline passengers, using for example fingerprints, iris recognition, and criminal records? Why are millions of us still standing in long lines at the airport to be searched? Because the government is incompetent.

Turn over airport security to the airlines, who have a vital interest in both safety and customer satisfaction. Why not form an association of airline companies to replace the TSA?

The TSA's methods have yet to catch a terrorist. There were multiple red flags which should have prevented the Nigerian flying from Yemen to Detroit via Amsterdam last Christmas from even being on the aircraft, but he was only stopped because his "underwear" bomb failed. He is a Muslim, he was flying from Yemen, he bought a one-way ticket with cash, he had no luggage, and his father had warned the U.S. Embassy about him. The government failed to use this information, so its "solution" is to have 300 million Americans and millions of other travelers stand in long lines, waiting to be searched as if we were all criminals.

Don L| 11.25.10 @ 7:06AM

In boot camp, most of the physical invasion and degradation of the recruits has one purpose -to humble them and make them submissive to those who would control them. And so it is with the TSA stuff. Obamacrats - no crisis {underwear bombers etc} is too good to waste -any means to an end -Alinski-ites.
Conservatives want security so they foolishly accept the technique -like mice want cheese so they accept the wooden platform with the metal wire and they both get trapped.

Why would anyon trust people who demand giant civilian armies, decry the constittution because it lacks enough power for the government, and argue viciously for the right to kill human babies outside the womb in the most cold-hearted of manners.

Hasn't anyone ever read a history book?

GreyLion| 11.25.10 @ 3:15PM

Don,
You obviously don't know what you are talking about. The ONLY goal of boot camp is to prepare civilians for combat and KEEP THEM ALIVE in the most extreme environment there is.
The harsher the training the better prepared they are. It would have been good for the TSA people to have been trained sufficiently and tasked appropriately to protect the flyer from terrorists. As it is they are required to do stupid things which amount to "The charge of the light brigade" and make everybody hostile in the process.
I don't know ANY conservatives who are content with what the TSA is doing. What world do you live in?

dudette| 11.25.10 @ 7:13AM

I have been practicing folding a scarf on my head and wrapping it around my neck, covering my chest---it looks pretty good. With that and my dummy version of the Koran (inside would be nail file, hand lotion, nail polish), I am going to decline the scanner as immodest, and decline a pat down. I, according to CAIR, can pat down myself. Now, I wish the Catholic LEague would also seek exemptions on religious grounds. Anyway this is how i will travel at Christmas. I look hideous in my "hijab" wish me luck.

JimH| 11.25.10 @ 7:36AM

Nice of you to say so. I had surmised that as a former competitive swimmer who keeps himself in shape that you might rather look forward to going through the scanners in order to put the rest of us to shame. Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Gary| 11.25.10 @ 7:55AM

Mondo Frazier is exactly right. If the federal government is public enemy number one, which it is, then control is the underlying goal - always.

This airport pat down BS is a large-scale test. Luckily, it seems to have blown up in their faces. They never admit defeat (remember the Real ID "failure"); they simply reappear somewhere else. What's next? I can hardly wait.

I don't think the millions spent by Chertoff's company lobbying for these machines was totally wasted. Look for them to pop up elsewhere. How about installing them along country roads in Afghanistan?

PCP Smoker| 11.25.10 @ 8:06AM

I'm glad to see all is back to normal. That business about the TSA's best is bunk too. They recruit out of pizza boxes

The Decided| 11.25.10 @ 8:50AM

Funny, I'm half-way through Decision Points and, while I admire George W. Bush on many levels, I disagreed with much of what he did, not politically or philosophically, but because he failed to take into account where those actions would ultimately lead. The TSA is a perfect case in point: made perfect sense at the time, but with the statists at the helm (as was bound to happen sooner or later) it has, of course, morphed into something else entirely. And the TSA is just one of the more visible levers of power at the disposal of the Obama Administration and its collection of crackpots. It is, indeed, a slippery slope upon which we are embarked, and the fact that Mr. Tyrrell has apparently come to recognize that, is one more reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving morning.

Thinker| 11.25.10 @ 9:38AM

The control-command "SUBMIT" below this "COMMENT' box says it all.

Longplay| 11.25.10 @ 9:53AM

If the TSA were actively and earnestly profiling and displaying no PC remorse about it, and if after years of doing that we were still in danger, I believe Americans would tolerate the intrusions recently put in place. Unfortunately the TSA has put the last resort first and the terrorists before American citizens.

da monk| 11.25.10 @ 10:06AM

Has anyone given the thought that maybe this hullaballou about the TSA and its "mauling" of passengers and x-ray machines are part of a diobolical plan by Al Queada and the Taliban and their cohorts to stop inspections of passengers so that they can sneak bombs on the planes? Think about it. Didn't they just pass off some unknown person as spoksman for the Taliban?

Sara| 11.25.10 @ 10:09AM

Homeland Security has already expanded it's original scope of hunting down Islamic terrorists to one of hunting down "domestic terrorists." These are "dangerous" American political groups. One of those groups is constitution activists. Hence, the collection of names of "domestic terrorists" who object to TSA's unreasonable searches based on the fourth amendment. With the Patriot Act and our government's disloyality, we have made ourselves a KGB machine. It's only getting it's sea legs.

David March| 11.25.10 @ 10:25AM

The TSA response is based on bureaucrats who don’t want to be the ones standing around when the next plane gets attacked or blown up.

The fact is that no matter what the planes will be attacked and some will be blown up. The US simply overreacted to the attacks on 911 completely out of proportion to what happened. Instead of panicking like they did in 2001, had the government and people reacted with anger and resolve to return to there lives then it would have been better.

When terrorists were blowing up airplanes in the 80’s the TSA was not formed in response. Reagan didn’t allow such crap to be made to intrude upon the lives of ordinary people.

Imagine the days and weeks after the attacks had the TSA not been formed, but the Insurance Companies whos jobs are to manage risk, had been told they could set the levels of security at the airport. All the government does is set the minimum insurance payout to one million dollars per person killed and to tell airlines that they must have insurance to fly.

Think we might have a bit more effective security, that is effective and responsive to peoples needs?

oldalabammy| 11.25.10 @ 10:55AM

re: TSA, FDA, FANNIEMAE, DEA, etc., etc., etc.

Everything, and I mean every last thing, about the entire Federal Bureaucracy has become criminally ineffecient, overblown in its own estimates of its own importance, and obscene in its flagrant waste of resources provided by We The People. Are We to allow this idiot-bureaucracy to continue? What are our alternatives in the pursuit of being rid not only of TSA but all of the other grotesque Federal bureaucratic obscenities? Constitutional Liberty requires an educated, God-fearing constituency. Maybe We The People should take a long hard look at the Modern Language Association (MLA) which, according to David Horowitz, is a membership of 40,000 Marxist Socialists who oversee the Educational Bureaucracy of The United States.

rfk| 11.25.10 @ 11:19AM

Well done, sir. You changed your mind because Hannity told you to. Courage!

oatka| 11.25.10 @ 11:20AM

"When the facts change, I change my mind."

Facts don't change, only peoples' perception of them. Nice try at a cop-out though.

Reagan Loyalist| 11.25.10 @ 11:40AM

Well done my friend. Good decision and you are to be commended.

Bless you!

Jim Hlavac| 11.25.10 @ 12:05PM

I just found it very interesting, as a gay man, that I might be subject to grabbing and groping by some stranger of a straight guy in some sort of weird momentary "legal union" out there in public, but I am not to be allowed a legal union by any name to be, um, you know, groped ... by the man of my choice even in the privacy of our own home.

And while gay folks have been accused of being a threat to civilization itself, we sure never blow anything up, or crash planes, or threaten violence over any cartoon which might mention us, nor make much more of a ruckus than saying, "Please, oh pretty please, include us." Like grandmothers and 3-year olds, we're a pretty docile group. I thought therefore I should have been excluded from this invasion of privacy on these grounds alone.

On the other hand, there are a whole slew of people who are rather vocal in their determination to bring civilization down, and a little profiling of them might be in order. And if the TSA couldn't find a young Nigerian man who bought a one way ticket with cash and carried no luggage and whose father had called in with alarm, than I'm fairly certain they'd be unable to do this right either.

Airport security, sure. TSA? No way. It's nuts.

Finbarr Moran| 11.25.10 @ 1:12PM

Florence King once quoted a John Wayne character, “never apologize, Mister, it’s a sign of weakness.” But I suppose that it matters little either way. All reports indicate that few, if any, protested the indignities of the TSA yesterday.

Most of the American sheeple must have thought one election was going to halt the creeping totalitarianism. The fact of the matter is that the statists won. You’ll be fitted for your burqas with to Obama logo soon. That goes for the women, too.

To borrow from Florence again, sleep peacefully, dying republic.

Tom| 11.25.10 @ 2:01PM

America is not going to implement an Israeli approach. There are lots of reasons - cost, access to properly trained personnel, geography, number of entry points. It is much more than simply standing next a suspect and asking questions in rapid fashion. Those questions are tailored to the suspect and his alleged reasons for traveling to Israel. The intelligence work starts long before someone gets on the line at the airport. Many Americans recoiled at some of the aspects of the Patriot Act as being anti-liberty. Well, in the Israeli world those provisions are rather mild. America simply will not pay the price for a true Israeli modelled security system.

darcy| 11.25.10 @ 4:23PM

I think you're wrong, Tom. Certainly most liberals will balk at profiling, but the country is only 20% liberal. The odds are not in their favor for winning this debate. And the opposition is intensely passionate -- and adamant.

America is showing that it will not pay the price of having to lose its liberty so the PC crowd can continue its march through our Constitution.

Tom| 11.25.10 @ 5:53PM

Darcy,
It is far more than profiling. The Israelis do in depth analysis of everyone who flies. And the cost is not just whether people will accept the intrusion, it is actual costs. Imagine how many people fly in the US, at how many airports, everyday. Where are we going to get the trained agents to interview those passengers? You cannot simply pull someone off the street, the interaction is highly sophisticated and individualized. There is not a script or three scripts, the agents tailor their questions on the fly depending on how the suspect reacts.

darcy| 11.25.10 @ 6:08PM

You raise some good points, Tom. But have you considered, since we're talking dollars here, how much it costs to purchase and maintain the new scanners? $200,000 a pop for the machines, new. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

And how many are in the pipeline? You might find that a little research would reap greater insights into the total costs, if we're just speaking dollars here, of profiling versus scanning/groping.

And guess who Obama took with him to India earlier this month. None other than Deepak Chopra, CEO of OSI Systems, the scanner manufacturer. Perhaps Deepak merely wanted to meet up with extended family (if he still has any there) while in India; or perhaps there was some financial gain for his company he was seeking.

Tom| 11.25.10 @ 7:06PM

Darcy,
I am in the field, although not for airport security, and am well aware of the costs. But personnel costs almost always outweigh the costs of hardware.

You are missing my point, I think intelligent profiling is far superior to checkpoints. But it is difficult, expensive, and intrusive. Merely saying "Lets do what the Israelis do" discounts the extreme difficulties in duplicating their techniques in an entirely different situation. I would prefer those seeking solutions for America to learn from the Israelis and adapt their methods to the unique needs of American air travel rather than simply ape what works in a much smaller country with a much different security environment.

Miriam| 11.28.10 @ 5:46PM

Can you enumerate some of the possible adaptations to the US system?

Wayne | 11.25.10 @ 3:00PM

Its not easy to admit being wrong. I admire you.
I was in the air when the towers went down, and back in the air two days later. I have never been afraid to fly. Sometimes the taxi ride to the airport makes me a bit nervous.
I see all of this as kabuki theater. The odds of being in a terrorist attack is very small. In 9 years, TSA has caught ZERO terrorists. A terrorist does not need to get on an airplane to create terror. I think that line waiting for security would be quite tempting. So security starts much sooner and must be quite broader. It should be dogs sniffing for materials, cameras checking suspicious behavior and agents asking tough questions. In other words look for the terrorist. That is something we are not doing.

Meanwhile having had thyroid cancer I must avoid those new machines. I can't imagine being someone anyone would want to grope, but in at least the name of equal rights for us heterosexuals, I think the groping should be done by a female.

GreyLion| 11.25.10 @ 3:34PM

Glad you still with us Mr Tyrell. Please maintain your post sir!

PhilM| 11.25.10 @ 3:53PM

Sorry, Mr. Tyrell - the FACTS did not change, merely your perception was modified by the results of those facts. That TSA elected to treat everyone as a terrorist until they proved themselves IS to invoke public terrorism - just what the Islamists do.

I had a friend complain that the several times he went through Israel, he was "intrusively" questioned about his travel. I asked why he - as an American - traveled with an Israeli passport; of course he didn't, but he expected to be treated as one.

They made a big deal out of the "No Fly List" assuring us that it would prevent terrorists access. As we all know, that turned out to be false, and mostly delayed or prevented valid travelers with no ties to terrorism. I can tell you that the only way I will fly now is in manacles and leg-irons with armed guards, as I will never willingly forgo my oath to "protect and defend" by acquiescing to terrorist demands as a condition of buying a flight ticket.

Wayne | 11.25.10 @ 5:44PM

But you have by not buying that ticket.

PhilM| 11.26.10 @ 8:55PM

No - now I drive where I need to go. Should it be required, I'll fork out for a charter flight where you don't have to put up with this insane excrement.

Wayne| 11.27.10 @ 12:47AM

By changing your behaviour you have accepted that demand. Just as those who ran to Canada accepted the demand of the draft.

As individuals we can no more fight this intrusion than we could the draft. For me I well understand that might makes right. I can be compelled. I can also make noise and vote for people who stop this foolishness. But not flying does not free me from tyranny.

REB| 11.26.10 @ 12:02AM

Glad to see you have rethought this issue,it take a person with a realistic view of himself to admit he err-ed when shown new info,few people liberal or conservative can do that.

Marc Jeric| 11.26.10 @ 1:00AM

Failure to execute racial profiling at airports should be treated as a terrorist-supporting act and punished accordingly.

larry| 11.26.10 @ 5:10AM

mr tyrell,this is the first mistake youve made in about 40 years...not a bad record,i think.

coal carrier| 11.26.10 @ 7:35AM

Whatever happened to “innocent, until proven guilty”. As far as the TSA is concerned we are all guilty until the scanner proves them wrong. The problem is the scanning was suppose to stop underwear bombs. As you stated, Mr. Tyrrell, it does not detect bombs hidden in body cavities. And we all know they will hide anything, anywhere, to get 72 virgins.

Robert| 11.26.10 @ 8:25AM

The TSA follows the IRS rule that citizens are guilty until they prove they are innocent. This is a dangerous path for our nation. Thanks for reconsidering your initial take on the matter. It was really so cut and dried from the outset, even for a flyover country guy like me that flies a lot.

The Bishop| 11.26.10 @ 10:01AM

Mr. Tyrell, it takes a big man. But, being alums of Indiana University we're practiced in the art of repentance, aren't we? Good man.

Jay Pitsby| 11.26.10 @ 10:06AM

Welcome back to the planet, Boss!

Sam Vaughn| 11.26.10 @ 10:36AM

Emmett, thanks for the thoughtful reply. I view the TSA as an affront to liberty and a slippery slope to the police state. The current administration obviously has no regard for the law, citzenry, the consititution or decency. Harsh I know but the facts are there for those willing to see. I boiled over when I saw your last article, enough is enough I said to myself. I've flown nearly 2mm miles over the past twenty years. I've been on a flight that crash-landed, bought a ticket but missed a flight where everybody died, been half way over the pacific when hydraulics failed, landed with nothing but fumes left in the tanks and more. Nothing like experience to leaven accurate perception of my surroundings to see the truth. The TSA is the beginning of a giant indepedent police organization who's only prupose is to intimidate and cow ordinary Americans. It took me a while to realize that Obama sees ordinary Americans as the "enemy" Those are his words not mine.

Laurey Boyd| 11.26.10 @ 11:16AM

The scary thing is that so many readers were aware of what you call the "new facts" before you, a prominent editor, were. Not good.

George| 11.26.10 @ 11:18AM

What is the point of the TSA if all they screen and grope are white Americans? The Muslims get to opt out and they're the ones that need to be screened more than anyone. No wonder the TSA hasn't caught one terrorist in 10 years! Ain't PC great?!

carol| 11.26.10 @ 1:59PM

one thing, freedom loving americans already profile for the idiots that don't
the tweo branches up there need to get revolved out the revolving door and new freedom loving americans need to serve

Le Cracquere| 11.26.10 @ 3:11PM

Well said, Mr. Tyrrell. Next time I'm wrong (sometime this P.M., according to the wife), hope that I can acknowledge it half as gracefully.

Chef Brian| 11.26.10 @ 3:39PM

Why heck, back in the day I used to have to pay people to 'touch my junk' ....now they are willing to do it for free!!! What's the problem?

I'm going to start traveling more!

Terrance| 11.26.10 @ 4:04PM

My favorite is people who pompously state "We are not a nation that profiles!". Nope, indeed not. We are a nation that strip searches autistic children, pulls open the underwear and feels the vagina's of 75 year old grannies, inspects closely the sanitary napkins of menstruating women, humiliates cancer victims, humiliates those with health issues, and treads on the privacy rights of all American citizens. But by God we don't profile. Idiots.

Dixie Pixie| 11.26.10 @ 4:31PM

Governmental stupidity is often a generator of commercial opportunity.

The current TSA fiasco creates an opportunity for a security entrepreneur to cut a deal with the airlines to pool a pre-screened group of passengers the security company guarantees are not terrorists.

If the prospective passenger signs up with a security “club” and submits to a rigorous onetime security screening then a special ID can be issued certifying that the person is not a terrorist.
Then all a passenger would need is a biometric match with the ID to let the passenger through with a simple luggage check. That way the TSA security process can be streamlined and simplified.

It is complete stupidity on the part of the government to completely re-certificated a frequent flier for every flight.

Besides what made the old procedures so a failure so they had to be replaced????

Alex Murawski| 11.26.10 @ 5:06PM

What's the problem with profiling again?? As a society we are culturally obsessed with cop shows that celebreate, rely on and even feature criminal profilers. What would a reasonable cop do if there was a shooting he or she had to solve? Would they set up check points and start frisking every person in the metropolitan area in the off chance they would come upon the weapon, or do they make assumptions about the most likely sort of person to commit the crime? Of course the profile, and not by race or ethnicity necessarily but by making educated assumptions about what sort of person would do the deed. It's time we took our cues from the Hollywood left. Irony knows no bounds.

stmichrick| 11.26.10 @ 7:13PM

Lets go easy on Bob Tyrell.

My first reaction to the indignant criticism of Xrays and enhanced pat -downs was also mixed; were opponents just trying to get the blue-nosed on their side? You know, to include those small minds who object to abortion because it lets people get away with illicit sex. The modesty lobby.

But it did not take long for me to sense what the real problem is...fairness. Effective profiling is, by appearance, not fair; the bane of progressivism! Singling out those who fit a profile of known offenders is going to OFFEND! Can't have that either.

But if we assume only certain profiles should be singled out from the mass travelling public, it would follow that it would not be the government who should best do be conducting security screens, but it would be the airlines; corporations!

That wouldn't do either in a progressive world, would it?

The airlines need to screen their own customers who want to ride on their airplanes. Makes too much sense; I know. Only they will arrive at what works, and it won't be patdowns of eighty-eight year old nuns.

The present situation is just another leftist reality avoidance scam.

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Robert| 11.27.10 @ 10:32AM

I am sick and tired of playing defense against barbaric terrorists. We will never impose Israel-style profiling because of the bleeding hearts here who are more concerned about civil rights than survival.

If we want to end terrorism on Friday, on Wednesday send a Tomahawk cruise missile into Ahmadinejad's palace backyard. On Thursday, send him a note warning that the next attempted act of terrorism in the US will rearrange the bricks on his palace. It doesn't need to succeed...just an attempt to blow up one American will result in a new architectural profile to his palace.

Friday? Terrorism ends! What could be simpler?

Jeffrey C| 11.27.10 @ 11:19AM

You want change? Don't fly. We've changed vacation plans for Christmas, Easter, and next summer. If airlines start losing money they will demand a change.

Russell | 11.27.10 @ 12:52PM

Should passengers brace for cavity searches by the voracious tongues of TSA trained aardvarks?

When the plane-crashing classes discover x-ray and teraherz scanners are incapable of detecting plague infected ants or fleas, and sttempt to board aircraft bearing vermin of mass destruction, what recourse will TSA have bur to augment its bomb sniffing dogs with anteaters?

But be of good courage-- Al Qaeda operatives are not immune to the TSA inspection delays that on average cause six US deaths from old age daily. As two hours times two million passengers a day equals twenty thousand infidel lifetimes lost since 9-11, and 22 known hijackers and underwear bombers have flown in that interval, the first Al Qaeda death by tedium should occur somewhat before the 100,000th innocent American passenger expires in line around the year 2042.

While no more of our countrymen perished in aircraft hijackings in the ten years before the TSA was established than in the ten following 9-11 ( zero in both decades) thoughtful Americans should not begrudge the Agency’s executives new careers as anteater wanglers, or outsourced IE operatives in South Asia, where their bomb detection skills will not wither on the vine.

Jack in the Midwest| 11.27.10 @ 4:09PM

Bob: I was a subscriber and money contributor here for many years. I am glad you came back on this issue. When are you going to join us paleoconservatives and libertarians and denounce these insane never ending wars? We were right and you and your neoconservative friends were wrong. It is time to concentrate an America and let the world defend itself. We are facing bankruptcy because of 70 years of minding the world's business instead of our own.

carnot| 11.27.10 @ 9:43PM

good call jack.....the incipient bankruptcy has nothing to do with out of control entitlement programs....it's all due to foreign policy misadventures.

stmichrick| 11.28.10 @ 8:25PM

Wrong, carnot.

ogame| 11.27.10 @ 5:43PM

These are interesting times I would rather not live through; but there you have it; it is what it is. And we will cough up a collective and forceful NO, or it will be all downhill from here

carnot| 11.27.10 @ 9:39PM

why is no one screaming from the rafters about the obvious duplicity in all of this?

so....the Administration and the Left do everything humanly possible to corrupt language and perception to convince the body politic that there is no terrorist movement, that there is no Islamofascist threat......only extremist individuals. yet, we are now witness to the greatest peacetime abrogation of liberties and the most pervasive surveillance I can recall in my lifetime - most of it sneaking through the seemingly innocuous backdoor of technology. at the same time these people deny the existence of an organized, sustained, INSTITUTIONALIZED threat...they are implementing actions that far exceed the "equal and opposite reaction" one might expect from their minimized threat. what's really going on here?

all the while....the ACLU sits on its arse.

Bob Menzies| 11.28.10 @ 3:15AM

Nah, you were right all along.

Between 1968 to 2006 there were 4,165 Americans injuried or killed due to terrorism.

In 2009 alone in the state of Illinois there was 2,848,431 violent crimes.

It would appear terrorism in America is carried out by Americans against Americans.

No wonder, taking into account the above numbers, that the TSA treats all Americans as being potential criminals.

Maybe all Americans should be tagged so that their movements and relationships can be monitored - it would save lives and make lots of money for rich guys like Michael Chertoff.

"Those who give up their liberty for more security neither deserve liberty nor security..."

Ben Franklin didn't know what he was talking about - did he?

carnot| 11.28.10 @ 9:09AM

yup...terrorism = civil/criminal action. just what the Left wants you to think.

Bob Menzies| 11.28.10 @ 4:29PM

Somewhere in America, a woman is raped every 2 minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ask any woman who has been raped how they felt. Terrified would be a good description.

Play the semantics game if it makes you feel better but terror is terror no matter who dishes it out.

carnot| 11.28.10 @ 9:14PM

ok...I'll spell it out for you.

1) terror as an ideologically driven set of goals is not the same as sexual deviancy. you are conflating the terror experienced by the victim with a label ascribed to a movement with political motivations.

2) I was reacting to the real horse manure in your argument: that we should turn away from foreign threats and deal exclusively with domestic violations of the law.

play your verbal leger demains someplace else. terrorism is a real threat...ask anyone from NYC....or Ft Hood...or any of a dozen places.

Bob Menzies| 11.28.10 @ 11:21PM

Nowhere in my post did I suggest that protection from foreign threats should be abandoned. All I stated was there is far more violent crime inflicted on Americans BY Americans - using rape as an example.

As such all Americans are potential criminals (according to the TSA) and currently are being treated as such for their own "good" (or is it Michael Cheroff's, but that's another poignant story))

Anyway, the numbers speak for themselves.

How many Muslim terrorists raped Americans last year?

But over 250,000 American women were raped and some of those were also murdered by Americans.

If you do not want to call that "terrorism" against women then so be it; how about we call rape: disgusting, vile, cowardly, violent, controling - all terms that can be easily associated with emotional and physical terror.

Once again play your small minded semantic games for as long as your little heart desires but nothing will change the empircal truth - women have much more to fear from American males than Muslim terrorists.

So get over it and grow up.

Tom| 11.29.10 @ 7:41AM

What does rape have to do with terrorism? Terrorists seek to influence the behavior of nations, rape typically is a crime of violence and power directed against women. It is comparing Apples to Dandilions.

Where did you come up with the 250K figure? The FBI's numbers are less that 100K. I've never seen a number anywhere near that high.

Bob Menzies| 11.30.10 @ 2:53AM

Bingo - apples and dandilions in a nut shell.

And there's the rub. Politcal terrorism is a threat, but by no means should it be compared to domestic violent crime - which, statistcally speaking, is a far greater threat than terrorism has ever been.

Domestic violence is however equally terrifying and destructive to the victims (and families) concerned.

Personally I fear not of being killed or injured by a terrorist (the numbers are against it); rather, I fear the home grown nutter and government stupidity more (the numbers support such).

When emotion over rides reason the consequences can be unfortunate. There is much emotion connected with this debate.

One might ask: is such emotion motivated by the fear of terrorism, or the fear of creeping totalitarianism and its controlling nature?

If such a question is approached from an imperical perspective then the manner in which to deal with the TSA should become clearer.

Tom| 11.28.10 @ 5:54PM

The quote is incomplete - and Ben might not be the author - the quote is: They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

We give up libterty all the time for security. I do not have the right to drive on the left side of the road, nor to perform surgery, nor any other of countless acts. But they are hardly essential liberties. There are two questions to ask if you want to use Franklin's quote: is the liberty essential AND is the security temporary. If you can answer not to either question than Franklin's quote really does not apply to the situation being discussed.

stmichrick| 11.28.10 @ 8:28PM

OK Bob Menzies;
Great call. Let's see if the foreign terrorists can make numbers like our domestic ones do, most of whom we lockup for a period of time.

TSA isn't helping though.

bluecollarbytes| 11.28.10 @ 7:40AM

Glad to see this change of mind.

There are many things wrong with U.S. travelers being treated as potential criminals in such a routine fashion. In times of war we do put up with temporary infringements on rights. But we're not at war according to those in charge. The country may even be in flux on that, although I believe a majority stills knows the reality.

The Obama administration indicates it will move these procedures into other areas of public transport. It will only get worse unless citizens rise up to oppose. -there seems to be a lot of that going on lately- indicative of the divide between civilians and the perfumed politicians.
-
It was weird to find out that Deepak Chopra is CEO of a co. that produces these machines (as well as being an Obamaphile)

Texas Mom 2012| 11.28.10 @ 3:52PM

My solution is to announce that we will no longer screen. However, the next time Muslim terrorists strike americans or American interests we will Nuke Mecca. No if, ands or buts. The beauty of this is that we can say that the Muslims pushed the button because we promised not to attack them unless we are attacked again first. Then follow through by destroying their most Holy site. I am tired of 7th century madness... And if the rest of Muslims will not take action against the 'radicals' amongst them, they will deserve to lose their holy sites. Medina up next...

Bob Menzies| 11.28.10 @ 5:50PM

“A society whose citizens refuse to see and investigate the facts, who refuse to believe that their government and their media will routinely lie to them and fabricate a reality contrary to verifiable facts, is a society that chooses and deserves the Police State Dictatorship it’s going to get.” – Ian Williams Goddard

TURK| 11.29.10 @ 11:12AM

May I repeat to those of you who like the sound of their own voices--appearances of their scribblings--what stares back from the mirror; he was putting us on!!!!! The above was a timid way(he doesn't want to be bombarded by cream pies by us tea party'ers) of confessing to his hoax.

delquattro| 11.29.10 @ 8:18PM

I'm glad that the backlash from your readership reacquainted you with the fourth amendment, but please forgive me for not being impressed.

The facts didn't change. All that changed was, thanks to one man; Matt Drudge, Americans voiced their support for their fourth amendment protection. You just decided it was time to get back in front of the crowd because the crowd left you behind...with the rest of the Republican establishment RINOs and fascists.

Mark| 12.2.10 @ 1:53AM

Half the problems with our society today stems from "political correctness' and racial profiling or the fear of being accused of profiling. Personally I'm fed up with this stupidity. Achmed gets a nod and kid glove handling while my granny gets felt up, and down. I don't really care that she said she liked it, it's just wrong.
I heard a great idea last week. The TSA needs a booth that is bomb proof that every passenger has to pass through. (No profiling) woo hoo!! Anyway, the booth has the capability of causing anything explosive to blow up. Those without explosive material on, or in their body have nothing to worry about. Once in a while they call for a clean up at gate 19, but problem solved.
My idea is to train thousands of explosive sniffing pot bellied pigs. Every time a pig smells explosives and sticks it's nose up Achmeds' butt he would automatically evacuate his bowels. Problem solved.

tdavis| 12.2.10 @ 12:23PM

There are plenty of arguements for, and against, the physical screening of passengers. Someone mentioned earlier that 51% of Americans were opposed to such practices. I'd love to know where and how that data was generated. I saw another, post holiday, report that said only 1% of travellers protested the screening measures. Again, I don't know the source and I don't trust most polls and "studies". I am a member of the travelling public and I am an American citizen. I am retired military and I even worked for TSA for awhile. My experience is this: 80 year old white men in wheel chairs who have no bladder control will attempt to sneak a 6" bladed hunting knife onto an airplane. Not a poll, not a study. It's a fact. TSA screeners have been directed to not permit folding nail clippers through the checkpoint if they have a nail file. Somebody with a lot more authority than a screener has determined that this could be used to take over a plane, whereas ski poles and walking sticks are considered harmless. My personal thoughts on this are that requiring common sense and prudent oversight of the decision makers would be more appropriate than some dead-head saying "Don't touch my junk" (a new way of saying "I'm an intellectual midget and I am self -conscious about my body).
Profiling works only as long as the perpetrators fit the profile. If I were bin Laden I would congratulate myself on the havoc I've created. Some people are making this an issue of liberty and are quoting Ben Franklin regarding the sacrifice of liberty for security. To them I would say that Franklin was not faced with suicide bombers with explosives in their...body cavities. Had he been I am certain that he would have seen the reason and rationale behind physical screening and he would, like Mr. R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., reconsider his position in the face of new data. Also to them I would say "Take the bus". It would be very difficult for anyone to fight for liberties, priviledges and freedom from the grave. The sad truth is that when some dork with a bottom-full of C4 blows up 200+ innocent men, women and children, the don't-touch-my-junkers and the Patrick Henry wannabes will cry the loudest about the failure of the poor screeners to prevent it. Still, some parent or child or other loved-one will be heartbroken. Doing what we can to stop the madness is better than letting the madness go uncontrolled.

weddingdress| 7.15.11 @ 5:18AM

I heard a great idea last week. The TSA needs a booth that is bomb proof that every passenger has to pass through. (No profiling) woo hoo!! Anyway, the booth has the capability of causing anything explosive to blow up. Those without explosive material on, or in their body have nothing to worry about. Once in a while they call for a clean up at gate 19, but problem solved.