Don’t fly much?
PETN doesn’t go off by lighting it on fire or mixing it with liquid. I don’t get where these guys get their explosive designs.
I love how the guy was from a “Nigerian banking family.” Maybe they’re getting pissed that their emails aren’t working anymore.
Where is Phil Stein to tell us that we should accept that the new rules probably make sense because TSA implemented them and they must have good reason, and we just don’t have all the information?
That’s much too strong a stand for him. The new rules might make sense, and TSA might have a good reason for them.
You nailed the “we just don’t have all the information” part, though.
This particular incident had absolutely nothing to do with Afghanistan, the election or the disposition of U.S. helicopters. This guy was highly educated, very well off financially, and widely traveled. I am all for treating the cause; I would posit that we should be sure we have the actual cause, and not merely one that fits our world view.
In addition to all of the stupid, knee-jerk, and ineffectual new restrictions TSA is imposing, I can only imagine its going to be hell to travel as a diabetic with insulin from now on. I guess, however, not too many terrorists would be willing to inject themselves with PETN before they get on the plane.
EDIT: I just read the new rules were being implemented by Air Canada, not the TSA. So perhaps there is so chance for sanity in the skies, after all.
Oh Jesus Christ, TSA. Is there any security theater restriction Americans won’t put up with?
Ironically, most people on an airplane tend to be wealthy enough to fly on a frickin plane. One would think that this fact would preclude such people from lighting their pants on fire, but this is liar territory.
WTB transcontinental high-speed rail, or some other alternatives to flying.
Yes, I’ve driven the length of the US, it was fun once but tiring!
Because the terrorist is totally going to follow the rules on the plane and put down their ignition device.
What? I have to stow my electronic device? Curses!! Foiled again by the TSA!
Heh. If we’re worrying about terrorism in this thread, high-speed trains are a bad idea. Pretty easy to fuck with, especially when you have very large empty stretches that can’t properly be monitored. I mean, shit, drop a few bricks on a high-speed rail and you’ve successfully killed most, if not all, the people on board.
The extremist Muslim community identifies with all “offenses” against Muslims. Everything happening in the Middle East and Afghanistan is almost certainly directly relevant to his beliefs and action.
Actually, that’s pretty much my position, yeah.
But you guys all know better than TSA, because you read stuff on the internet. Bully for you.
This is why I drive everywhere unless I absolutely, positively have to get there overnight.
Also, because sometimes I like to light my own pants on fire. Why is that so wrong?
You mean apart from the fact that the bomber was screaming and ranting about Afghanistan during the incident?
To quote a stand up comedian I saw perform just after they banned liquids:
“I wish they’d make an airline with no security at all: For those of us willing to risk it. People could just walk aboard and bring their steak knives and rifles - as long as we took of immediately. I’d rather die up there than in some airport waiting room.”
But I’d love to see Phil defend the new “security” measures with something else than “They probably knows something we don’t”, which is an argument that can be used for just about anything.
Phil, what they are doing is not effective. Unfortunately for airplane security, getting 90% of the terrorists is not enough. You need 100%. The only way that they can do that is to not announce what the security measures actually are. But instead, they put on this big show of ‘security’ which is not actually security because everyone knows what it does. It makes people feel safe, which imo is what the TSA is there for.
These current changes do a good job of letting the terrorists know what the bar is. Other than that and the ‘oh good the government is doing something for my safety’ vibe, I don’t see the point.
As I’ve mentioned before, Vegas casinos are probably one of the most secure places in the world. Do you see the security? No, because they don’t advertise it. Much easier to catch criminals that way.
His father Muhammed Awad bin Laden was a wealthy businessman with close ties to the Saudi royal family.[6]
Bin Laden studied economics and business administration[10] at King Abdulaziz University. Some reports suggest bin Laden earned a degree in civil engineering in 1979,[11] or a degree in public administration in 1981
Cliffski’s point is interesting.
A lot of revolutionaries are educated middle class, even in popular culture, like Joe Strummer or Nick Cave. Having grown up in the hippie culture I was poor but feel I had a middle class education. My partner was real working class English and she said that although the Clash and Pistols etc spoke to her, after she found out they came from middle class backgrounds she felt betrayed. She still loves the music though :)
Probably because lower class people are too busy trying to earn enough money to eat and go to the pub than to worry about politics and all that shite. They can be manipulated into worrying about it though, like terrorism, Iran and the Global Economic Crisis or too many foreigners etc.
It is a war of Ideals, just like Anarchy in the later half of the 19th early part of the 20th centuries. The weird part is that I find myself defending Islamic Fundamentalists more these days when 15 years ago I was totally opposed to what they stood for, I still am when it comes to honour Killing, bhurkas, violence and a whole lot more. Was this planned by the right wing of USA? Find an enemy that the left could hate as well? As opposed to the Commies? Maybe.
What rights are you defending regarding Islamic Fundamentalists? I can defend their basic human rights, but nothing past that. Curious to see what others might defend.
I’m just not sure there’s anything America can do to convince radical extremist Muslims hat we aren’t “the Devil.” The first Al Qaida attack on the Trade Center occurred under Clinton’s era, along with other more successful attacks. Perhaps if we attacked Israel, but short of that I’m not sure there’s anything we can do to make them decide we’re “good guys.”