[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; if you have tips, please send them here .] Whatever one thinks of the TSA, it’s really hard to defend this first hand account at Red State just on a basic principle of intelligence. Some soldiers were returning to America from Afghanistan. They had to stop over in Ireland and deplane. The author, a soldier himself, explains a key detail: It’s probably important to mention that we were ALL carrying weapons . Everyone was carrying an M4 Carbine (rifle) and some, like me, were also carrying an M9 pistol. Oh, and our gunners had M-240B machine guns. Of course, the weapons weren’t loaded. And we had been cleared of all ammo well before we even got to customs at Baghram, then AGAIN at customs. For reference purposes, this is what a M-240B looks like, according to wikipedia : So they go to get back on the plane, and complete stupidity breaks out. So we’re in line, going through one at a time. One of our Soldiers had his Gerber multi-tool. TSA confiscated it. Kind of ridiculous, but it gets better. A few minutes later, a guy empties his pockets and has a pair of nail clippers. Nail clippers. TSA informs the Soldier that they’re going to confiscate his nail clippers. The conversation went something like this: TSA Guy: You can’t take those on the plane. Soldier: What? I’ve had them since we left country. TSA Guy: You’re not suppose to have them. Soldier: Why? TSA Guy: They can be used as a weapon. Soldier: [touches butt stock of the rifle] But this actually is a weapon. And I’m allowed to take it on. TSA Guy: Yeah but you can’t use it to take over the plane. You don’t have bullets. Soldier: And I can take over the plane with nail clippers? TSA Guy: [awkward silence] Me: Dude, just give him your damn nail clippers so we can get the f**k out of here. I’ll buy you a new set. Soldier: [hands nail clippers to TSA guy, makes it through security] Gosh those government guys are soooo smart, let’s have them run healthcare! Update: In Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal , a game involving ridiculous weapons and lots of humor , at one point, they go to a spaceport and hear this on the PA system: “Welcome to the Zeldrin Starport. Please note that Thermonuclear weapons, and nail clippers are now prohibited on all flights.” Which proves it is very hard to parody airport security. [Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing.]
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(Stupid) TSA Story of the Day
We have already seen how a little inquiry can expose the grandest of claims about the fashionable if fading new label for central planning, the “green economy”. When President Obama was outed on his claims about Spain – as in serially calling on us to “think about what’s happening in countries like Spain, Germany and Japan” — he simply transitioned to “Denmark and Germany”. Well, Denmark (like Germany ) was also exposed . Then Japan’s scheme turned out to be no more than the same Spanish and German program of raising consumer energy costs to transfer the wealth to “green economy” interests, according to its own government . As a result, Obama no longer points to anywhere his model has worked. Today I see this from the MacIver Institute in Wisconsin, giving a quick if persistent pressure test to their governor’s claims about the supposed “green economy” that already exists, Exhibit A in the argument that so much more is possible if only the public acquiesce to a particular agenda. As you see, the claims are wholly unsupportable and apparently cut from whole cloth. When your ticket to the dance is exaggeration, puffery and…well, worse…your demands ought not advance one inch until you’re forced to come clean. After this, an open and honest debate must ensue. So far that is what the “green jobs” crowd desperately seek to avoid. Yet such a basic principle applies more than anywhere to the “green economy” agenda given that it also means “necessarily skyrocketing” energy prices (according to a candid Obama moment ). Politicians continue to seek to rob Peter to pay Paul, making absurd claims that do not withstand scrutiny . Thank goodness there remain watchdogs to call the bluff.
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Green Cheese
