Feeling safer?

The government's new order that all airline passengers put their shoes through X-ray machines won't help screeners find a liquid or gel that can be used as a bomb.

The machines are unable to detect explosives, according to a Homeland Security report on aviation screening recently obtained by The Associated Press....

In its April 2005 report, "Systems Engineering Study of Civil Aviation Security - Phase I," the Homeland Security Department concluded that images on X-ray machines don't provide the information necessary to detect explosives.

Machines used at most airports to scan hand-held luggage, purses, briefcases and shoes have not been upgraded to detect explosives since the report was issued.

Airport security is really not about securing aircraft. It's about making the public feel that they are "safe". That's what the business of government is today. The reality is, terrorists can pretty much do what they want. We've seen it time and again, and while sometimes law enforcement does catch them before they strike, it certainly isn't what prevents wholesale destruction.

That's why it's about damn time we address the reasons why there is terrorism, instead of simply dropping more bombs - which ironically only creates more terrorists. It's a crapshoot whether you end up a victim or not, but as I've said before - your odds of ending up a victim of terrorism is less than getting hit by lighting.

I've said it before, Americans are really stupid people. In fact, I think that was a cold war era weapon that the Soviets came up with. We think we actually "won" the cold war, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the Soviets came up with a "stupid weapon" and employed it throughout the United States. Then all they have to do is sit back and wait for us to doom ourselves.

How else to explain going from "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself" to wrapping our houses with duct tape and plastic sheets?