28th
Sporting? Not really
“To date, I think those questions were answered best in an interview with Ars Technica’s Jon Stokes.”— Blogger Bob on the TSA blog, in part of his response to a recent XKCD cartoon. There are many valid reasons to complain about TSA but would you ever have expected them to link to a cartoon poking fun at them or conduct an interview with a wonky nerd blog? You gotta admit, that’s pretty sporting of them.
Sporting? Responding to intelligent and well-presented criticism with party-line propaganda, failing to honestly address the argument, and then acting as though the matter is closed? No, that isn’t very sporting.
Here’s an example of TSA doublespeak from the aforementioned wonky-nerd-blog interview:
Why don’t you just ban all liquids? Because our National Labs and international allies demonstrated to my satisfaction that there is, in fact, a scientific basis for allowing small amounts of liquids on as carry-on.
Translation: There is, in fact, no scientific basis for banning any liquids, but we have to look like we’re doing something.
Later in the same interview, Hawley promises “The choice is a total ban or this, and we are working very hard at a technology solution that should make this better all around. Think early 2009 for that” (my emphasis). This interview was for Ars Technica. If he had been talking to, say, Ars Equestrica, I’m sure that line would have been “We are working very hard at a solution involving pretty ponies.”
Here’s my favorite comment from the vast number Blogger Bob’s response to xkcd received:
“When you show us a bottle of liquid, we can’t tell if it’s a sports drink or liquid explosives without doing a time consuming test on it.”
Why, then, does TSA toss these dangerous explosives into open containers in the middle of airports?
Why, then, does TSA dispose of these dangerous explosives as if they were exactly what is indicated by their labels?
Why does TSA treat a bottle of Pepsi like soda when it’s time to dispose of it, but as a dangerous explosive when it transits the checkpoint?
How does TSA screen the liquids sold past its checkpoints?
Does TSA test a random sampling of confiscated liquids to determine how many liquid explosives people are attempting to bring through checkpoints?
Why can’t TSA point to a single piece of independent, peer-reviewed research to support its liquid policies?
Why does TSA continue to post inaccurate signage about the liquids policies in airports?
Why do you keep lying to us, and how stupid do you think we are?
As long as intelligent people keep being flattered when politicians engage them on their own terms, blogging about cartoons is all they’ll ever have to do.
