What is their goal? - Johnny Worthington

To scare people into thinking there's a crisis and they need to do everything they're told. How else can you control a population? Don't you know this? You aussies would make lousy imperialists. - Bruce Lewis

See, machines and processes to check cargo and checked baggage don't scare anybody or underscore the need for tighter government control of everything you do. Therefore they're mostly useless. - Bruce Lewis

OK, well, since we all have the tin foil hats on, you would abolish it and then what? What security measures would you put in place in a non-scary-government world? - Johnny Worthington

Less reactionary, more forward thinking. They've over-reacted to the two major incidents that have occurred since their inception. - Bill Kinney

Like? Actual details? - Johnny Worthington

My first comment is probably as detailed as I can get without investigating more deeply than I want to. Plus it's dinnertime. - Bruce Lewis

OK for real security would involve 100% luggage cargo screening, reinforced doors on cockpit, magnemometer screening for guns large knives and far better humint to track real actual threats. Without a gun or large knife hijack is pretty much impossible with passengers who fight back and likelihood of catching a suicide bomber is zero anyway so why bother cost benfit not there Cuurrent security theater is absurd scissors my ass joke if it wasn't taken so friggin serious by losers in TSA #4GW - WarLord

Human intelligence to prevent attacks is much more effective than high tech screening. And even if the screening does find something, it is not a guarantee, for instance, that the person owning the bag with something is really on the same plane as the bag. Delta once temporarily misplaced my bag in Detroit, while I flew through Minneapolis to get to Cedar Rapids. - Rene Wirtz

Well, doing things like subjecting countless people to absurd security measures (full searches at gates) is pointless (versus addressing weaknesses at Schipol airport for transferring passengers, which appears to be the weak link in this incident). A friend of mine was stuck in Toronto for 2 days because of the fallout associated with canceled flights related to the delays caused by this mess. Ultimately, it's always going to be security theater, no matter what they do. - Bill Kinney

So, essentially, everyone is willing to accept the 1% chance that someone could get through for less delays - Johnny Worthington

Jonny we're spending trillion dollars and trillions more in lost time dollars to prevent the unpreventable, next attack will be by some invisible employee who cleans toilets in the terminal... #4GW - WarLord

Johnny, I'd state it more this way - there's a certain chance, at any given time, that something similar to this will happen. I don't think the measures that they're putting in place reduce that chance by any degree, while sincerely ratcheting up the delays/inconvenience/fear. - Jennifer Dittrich

+100 jennifer. you can't stop terrorism. the goal should be to keep people from wanting to blow us up as much as possible. - tiffany

Another question one of prevention: Why did a rich privileged well educated young man strap an explosive to his body and board a plane intent on murder and suicide. Answer that you make TSA job easier maybe even obsolete - WarLord

and as we've seen, the big hole wasn't at schipol. the big hole is that liquids are undetectable by METAL detectors. people don't pass through x-ray machines in the U.S. so you don't know what they're carrying if it's not metal - tiffany

Plus, if you start doing full screens and pat-downs at the gate of an airport, you have to do the exact same things at other port of entries regardless of mode: boat, train, car, plane. If not, then the whole thing is completely pointless. - Rene Wirtz

C4 is not detectable by metal detector he could have molded more than suffient plastic in a belt or vest or question is what are we preventing: Plane takeover - cockpit doors bolted and passengers resist. Plane destroyed? if you don't screen cargo the passenger screen is pointlesss. But mostly its a game of politics be afraid be very afraid I'm more worried about my constitution being shredded Gitmo, wiretaps and torture than any bomb making AQ - WarLord

The goal should be increased safety, but none of their policies are based on studies or scientific method of what's PROVEN to increase safety -- instead, it's all based on security theater, trying to put people at ease by going through motions. See http://www.schneier.com/blog... - Stephen Mack

WarLord and tiffany have a point. Start at the reasons why someone want to blow up a plane (or anything else for that matter) in the first place. One of the reasons for these stupid TSA reactions is probably to sell more security machines for the airports. Or maybe it has a reason it's a man from Nigeria that visited Yemen? Stop this "security theater", what Bruce Schneier calls it.... more... - Holger Eilhard

Well the darker side is that the hectoring by TSA on every flight at every airport reminds us that Gitmo, rendition, torture wiretaps are all "needed" good and things real american approve. Shredding the constitution becomes easier when the populace is fearful see Germany 1930's and ponder that safery trumps liberty at our peril and put your shoes back on it did not prevent a friggin thing #fail - WarLord

Holger, the data indicates that people want to blow things up to compel modern democracies to withdraw troops from places they consider their homeland. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... - Bruce Lewis

I recently saw an episode of Mythbusters where they blew up a moped with this braided cord that looked like climbing rope (I don't remember *why* they were blowing up the moped, but it was cool) -- "det-cord" or something. What's to keep someone from packing that into their carry-on, claiming it's for climbing, and then using it on a plane? Nothing. - Andy Bakun

I believe det cord (detonation cord) could be detected by bomb-sniffing dogs. - Jack (a.k.a. Jeber)