Israeli security expert Rafi Sela finds the process "mind boggeling", and I don't think he means that as a complement. He stresses there is far less delay imposed by Israeli airport security than what is demanded of passangers here in the United States:
"That's because they're not looking for liquids, they're not looking at your shoes. They're not looking for everything they look for in North America. They just look at you," said Sela.
It follows then that they are not looking for Muslims or Arabs or people named Mohammed either. Good news, as they are surrounded by a sea of them. No, they are looking for something else. To see it requires the use of judgment, and judging one's surroundings is seen as a good thing. The people of Israel trust the judgment of their security personal. Their lives depend on the people they place their trust in being able to 'see' what it is they are looking for.
For our part, we trust no one's judgment, least of all our security people. Experience shows us our security personnel do not exercise judgment. They are trained to treat each of us as an equally likely criminal suspect and slog through the sea of human travelers with the grace of elephants. They exercise no judgment, and in turn we not only have no trust in them, but by and large hold the security they provide in utter contempt.
No, our way shall be to continue to check everyone's luggage, make everyone take off their shoes, and now will shall also make them sit quietly with hands visible on their knees for an entire hour prior to landings... all to no avail, for we shall be no safer.
Simply put, our leadership has refused to task security to look for those things that truly make a person dangerous.
"That's because they're not looking for liquids, they're not looking at your shoes. They're not looking for everything they look for in North America. They just look at you," said Sela.
ReplyDeleteSage advice, true, as only the Israelis seem to give out these days concerning how to stanch terror.
A place ripe for attack and attempted destruction of all types, and so you'd think we'd be hearing of more attacks on Israel's El Al Airlines. And not for lack of trying from these terror goons of all stripes and shades and leanings.
But it is not to be so, and has no--for years on end now. The Israelis DO know how to deal with the human element.
Meanwhile the TSA has quite an impressive collection of oversized shampoo bottles and nail files.
Don't repost over on ScienceBlogs, where I've now been banned for being Mr. Smarty Pants--for pointing out similar things. They're stepping all over their gonads to assure us that al-Quaida will force Swedish grandmas named Inga to blow planes to oblivion.
Thanks goodness for TSA, keeping Americans safe with BS and equivocation to Christian bomb throwers (see Southers) and airlines safe from sharp fingernails.