

Is aviation security mostly for show? - edw519
http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/12/29/schneier.air.travel.security.theater/index.html

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rdtsc
I am glad Schneier's article got on cnn.com. General public would benefit
greatly from reading this. Unlike other pundits and "experts" he actually
knows what he is talking about when it comes to security.

To paraphrase my comment to a related thread: both security theatre and
terrorism is about managing _perceptions_. One is just a response to the other
in the public and media domain.

Therefore, the government will respond using theatircs and flare. They will do
whatever it takes to _seem_ like they is doing something. Lots of rules,
directives with cryptic long numbers separated by dashes, TSA employees with
uniforms resembling those of real police officers, etc, etc... This is quite
different than actually making anything or anybody any more safe.

Another point worth mentioning is that TSA has yet to show at least one foiled
or stopped terrorist attempt in all these years since its existence.

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nfnaaron
"A terrorist attack cannot possibly destroy a country's way of life; it's only
our reaction to that attack that can do that kind of damage."

Hear hear.

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timwiseman
Many of the points in this excellent article made me think of the movie "The
Siege."

