Bill Mill - One of the most troubling observations I made, at...

One of the most troubling observations I made, at both Albany and BWI, was that — aside from the likely notation in a log (that no one will ever look at) — there was no information captured and I was asked no questions, aside from whether or not I wanted to change my mind. Given that TSA interacts with tens if not hundreds of millions of travelers each year, it is incredible to me that we, the stewards of homeland security, have failed to insist that data capturing and analysis should occur in a manner similar to what local police agencies have been doing for many years.

— “Do I have the right to refuse this search?” - Deirdre Walker

While this article is an excellent examination of the problem of the TSA’s “random searches” and various and legion failures of procedure, it contains within it a severe misunderstanding of how power works in our country.

The author, as a former policewoman, feels empowered to say that “we” choose these policies followed by the TSA. In reality, you and I have no way to choose or even influence these procedures. Every politician that we could vote for, democrat or republican, supports these procedures implicitly or explicitly. Even if they were to oppose the TSA’s dehumanizing, time-wasting, nonsensical policies, they would find them effectively impossible to change.

Our government has delegated a great deal of control over the lives of ordinary Americans to Technocratic bureaucracies such as the TSA over which even they have only very gross powers to alter.

We, the voters, participate in the voting game while those we elect have little motivation or power to change the things that actually effect our lives.

Comments