Iyow - in your own words

It’s interesting that our reaction to a successfully thwarted terrorist attack generates almost the same reactions as a successful attack.

Instead of looking at what we (well, the UK) did right, and what we too need to do in the future to ensure continued success, instead of feeling a little safer knowing that these guys are on the job, protecting us, many seem instead to be shocked (shocked!) that a terrorist attack was being planned at all. Is this really a shock?

Graphic via blogger parodies from WiredBlogs.

Did some people really think that our current policies and actions meant less terrorism, instead of more?

So, once again, we react in terror and manifest our terror by embarking on a spree to liberate travelers from their nalgene bottles and chapstick.

If the whole point of terrorism is to make the government behave in such a manner that peoples’ liberties and dignity is curtailed, such that those people get fed up with the government, thus creating political and social unrest, then doesn’t it seem to be working, kinda?

What, exactly is the real payoff for forcing travelers to dump their Advil Liquigels, bottled water and hand lotion?

I mean, say some terrorist figured out how to smuggle sarin gas in a couple of fake teeth, or some other way of working toxins into his clothes or hair? Do we pull teeth and shave heads before allowing people to go on vacation in Barabdos? A lot of women wear gel-filled enhancing bras, should we make all women strip and present their bras for inspection? These are all clear security holes.

I am all for security checks at airports, and there is no simple answer to how far those checks should go, but at some point we have to step back and be rational. What if someone smuggles toxins in a condom and swallows it, heroin-mule style? Do we start doing full-body xrays?

The funny thing is that the whole plot itself is nothing now, there was a similar plot foiled in ‘95.

Which really makes me think that this is all reactionary hysterics. We knew this was possible before, why didn’t we start taking away people’s hair gel before?

One thing that does seem to be clear is that terrorist plot was foiled because some good cops did their job. Nearly every large-scale terrorist plot that has been foiled has been foiled because some good cops did their jobs. I think we should be focusing on supporting our law enforcement agencies, giving them some actual funding instead of picking wars with other countries or cutting domestic budgets – which is where the real safety enforcement happens.