When does the opposition to the Left ever respond with a little tit for tat? In the US, there are all sorts of people mouthing off big words about fighting government tyranny, while meekly standing by while their children are sexually assaulted by the TSA purportedly looking for nuclear weapons in their underwear.
Ah, I’m no expert in US politics, but I thought that was a Right-supported program? With what little of the Overton Window that covers “this is an absurd overreaction” lying on the metaphorical left-hand side?
Both left and right support the screenings, but it’s fair enough that while this made for an instance of government tyranny that people might oppose but don’t, it wasn’t a good instance of one pushed predominantly by the Left.
Unfortunately, it was (and is) a universally supported program. A pretty good example of Yvain’s Moloch, too—no serious political group can afford to be tarred with the “leave America defenseless before the terrorists” brush...
I remember a story about Rick Perry trying to pass a law limiting the kinds of things the TSA could do in Texas airports before relenting after the FAA threatened to ban flights to Texas airports if the law passed.
Well the right wing talk radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh opposed it from day 1.
Also I remember a left wing political cartoon from shortly after 9/11 implying that Republicans were in bed with the corporate sector for not wanting to nationalize airport security (which was then provided by private contractors).
(Nationalizing airport security seems orthogonal to the TSA search issue, though.)
Private contractors hired by and answerable to the airports (and to a certain extend the airlines) have more incentive to not annoy customers than a national agency with fuzzy accountability.
Ah, I’m no expert in US politics, but I thought that was a Right-supported program? With what little of the Overton Window that covers “this is an absurd overreaction” lying on the metaphorical left-hand side?
Both left and right support the screenings, but it’s fair enough that while this made for an instance of government tyranny that people might oppose but don’t, it wasn’t a good instance of one pushed predominantly by the Left.
Unfortunately, it was (and is) a universally supported program. A pretty good example of Yvain’s Moloch, too—no serious political group can afford to be tarred with the “leave America defenseless before the terrorists” brush...
I’m not sure about that. At least I have a hard time finding anyone on the internet, in either political camp, who supports it.
Look at it from the other side—which serious political group loudly opposes TSA?
I remember a story about Rick Perry trying to pass a law limiting the kinds of things the TSA could do in Texas airports before relenting after the FAA threatened to ban flights to Texas airports if the law passed.
Well the right wing talk radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh opposed it from day 1.
Also I remember a left wing political cartoon from shortly after 9/11 implying that Republicans were in bed with the corporate sector for not wanting to nationalize airport security (which was then provided by private contractors).
Ah, interesting! I didn’t know that. Props to Limbaugh et al.
(Nationalizing airport security seems orthogonal to the TSA search issue, though.)
Private contractors hired by and answerable to the airports (and to a certain extend the airlines) have more incentive to not annoy customers than a national agency with fuzzy accountability.