It’s that time again, time for outgoing government bureaucrats to make room for fresh new faces and to say goodbye. Today, outgoing Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff said goodbye to the country in a video. Of course, the government can’t seem to do anything right, and now we can add making simple videos to that list.
“I’m here at the Freedom Center, one of the many facilities created after the Sept. 11th attacks to protect our country from terrorist threats and to improve coordination during major disasters and emergencies,” Chertoff says to introduce himself. “In this case, threats to our aviation system.”
Formerly known as the Transportation Security Operations Center, it was renamed last year to the Freedom Center. The operations center is responsible for virtually all of the Transportation Security Administration’s day to day activities, including preventing infants and Congressmen from boarding planes and responding to other threats to aviation security.
You may as well just watch the video. I’ll warn you now, it’s rather poor quality. It’s not YouTube’s fault; this is how it was received from DHS. Apparently even Windows Movie Maker is beyond them.
Someone get this man a glass of water!
Chertoff says we are “far better protected and far better equipped to deal with 21st-century threats” than before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Of course this says absolutely nothing about whether the American people are actually any safer, and it can be argued that we are not.
“We’ve completely overhauled our aviation security system,” Chertoff reminds us, as if we hadn’t noticed. “Today, more than 20 layers of security protect air travelers, from hardened cockpit doors and Federal Air Marshals to 100 percent screening of passengers and bags.”
Which of those layers of security actually works? Fake boarding passes, guns and bombs — real ones — getting onto planes, rigged internal tests, and more show that aviation security remains as fragile as ever. Your kids could probably hijack a plane, if it ever entered their mind.
And then there’s the border. Chertoff boasts about the hundreds of miles of new border fencing, a few spots of which he welded himself as a publicity stunt, the new surveillance technology, thousands of new Border Patrol agents, and hundreds of thousands deported. Yet the border remains porous since it’s easy enough to go over, under, through — or most frequently, around — the few spots where fences exist. And it’s easy enough for at least some people to evade thousands of Border Patrol agents, too.
Not to mention what is bound to happen when illegal immigrants build sections of the fence.
“There’s a transformation taking place in border towns and communities that were once plagued by drug smuggling and overrun with illegal immigrants,” Chertoff says. The transformation, of course, is that different border towns and communities are now overrun with illegal immigrants. Sort of.
It seems that over the last year, fewer people have been immigrating to the U.S. illegally. “This is a direct result of heightened security and enforcement,” according to Chertoff. According to the illegal immigrants, it’s a direct result of the U.S. economy going straight to hell. With so many people out of work, we need those jobs to go to Americans, right?
“We’ve cracked down on employers who blatantly violate immigration laws,” Chertoff says, “while giving businesses better tools, like E-Verify, to maintain a legal workforce.” After all, those millions of people in Michigan who need a job are going to travel halfway across the country to work in a meat packing plant, right? Somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen.
Of course, to ensure the workforce is legal, the workforce has to be identified. “We’ve implemented new standards for secure driver’s licenses across the United States to prevent the use of fraudulent or stolen documents,” Chertoff says. That’s the much-maligned REAL ID Act.
Nobody is required by law to have an ID in this country. Unless they want to do things like open a bank account, or get a job, or travel. It’s a distinction without a difference, since virtually everyone is thereby forced to carry their papers just to live from day to day, and in most circumstances, forced to show them on demand. And the requirement to show your ID at the airport doesn’t even make you any safer. Chertoff even admitted as much.
Chertoff goes on to mention new regulations on chemical facilities and transportation of chemicals by rail, as well as deployment of “early-warning surveillance systems to 30 major metropolitan areas under our BioWatch program” to warn of a biological attack. In 2005, those sensors went off in Washington, D.C., right in the middle of an anti-war protest. It appears to have been a malfunction.
“Finally,” Chertoff saves the best for last, “we’ve integrated lessons from Hurricane Katrina and other disasters to ensure the federal government is fully prepared to support our state and local partners and the American people during a major disaster.” Chertoff says he’s given FEMA more power, improved emergency communications somewhat, and improved coordination with other government agencies and the private sector. It remains to be seen what the results will be, but if you’re in an area that has natural disasters, I wouldn’t place my bets on the government being there to save you. Government is, after all, the world’s largest man-made disaster.
Chertoff is clearly proud of what his department has accomplished over the four years he has been at its head. He’s managed to spend countless billions of dollars creating and growing a bureaucracy the sole purpose of which is to take Americans’ essential liberties and trade them in for a false sense of security, all the while maintaining almost the lowest morale of any government agency through poor — or nonexistent — management.
To give credit where credit is due, Homeland Security actually has managed to do some things right. I just can’t think of what they are right now.
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Ultimately, the war supporters in Congress prevailed in the vote on the resolution. Still, the vote was significant because it places every member of Congress on the record as supporting or not supporting the unconstitutional, costly, violent occupation of a country that never attacked us. This vote should serve as an important reminder to the American people of where their representatives really stand when it comes to policing the world, empire building, and war.
Gardner Goldsmith explains why claims by politicians that consumers can become "irrational" and why claims by the same politicians that government can help "fix" markets are both false and misleading. He also explains what the terms Praxeology and Epistemology mean, which is key in understanding how to place free markets in their proper place among human history.
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bob oso
Dec 19, 2008
Someone get this man a big red clown nose, and some floppy shoes. Oh, and throw some rainbow coloring in whats left of that doo.
Jeff Hoyt
Dec 19, 2008
I don’t get out much these days, as I’ve decided to go back to acting responsibly by getting a real job.
In my absence from living as I earn a living, I haven’t seen any serious discussions as to why we needed Mr. Chertoff and Assocoiates to do all this stuff. Not to say nobody’s asking this question; I just figured I’d ask everybody here if they’ve heard anything about it.
I’ve been around awhile – came on the scene in ‘55 – and I can clearly remember the time when the only thing we worried about was the throw-weight and accuracy of the S.S.S.R.’s nukes. M.A.D. doctrine worked, as mad as it was, and things were relatively peaceful, unless you were a conservative in the ’60s… A riot here, a National Guard shooting there, but compared to the rest of the globe it wasn’t too bad.
But now! I have to take off my shoes and my belt to get on an airplane. I have to show my birth certificate to get my license renewed. I get hired to work on a fiber-optic based surveillance system at a local military base that watches the shoreline. (Come to think it, I guess India wishes it had one of those…) I have about 7 forms of ID in my wallet, but I need a new one to reduce the risk of attack against my country. I can be jailed without charge or appeal if I get a reckless driving ticket. (Yes, highly unlikely I know, but possible with the wording of the Patriot Act.) My commonwealth produced a publication which states that one place to look for domestic terrorists is among property-rights advocates.
Anybody got any idea as to how we got here?
Bob
Dec 19, 2008
Yes, I have an idea how we got here Jeff. We came down off a hill along a slippery slope, and there’s no going back up. Now we’re going to have to go down through the jungle full of hostiles and wild animals, find the river, try to build a raft or steal a boat or something and get back to the civilized world.
It’s going to be hard, man.
Ray
Dec 20, 2008
I have to disagree that your kids could hi-jack a plane. Now the TSA would be of little use in stopping them if they decided to do this. But they would still fail because we as a society have become aware of the problem. Corporate America also has become very aware of the actual problem.
On 9/11 nobody did anything with the exception of the one plane load who found out what was really going on. Why, because the airlines had a policy to give in to every demand of the hi-jackers until the plane was on the ground. The passengers were complacent because they were taught to be so. Today if you tried to hi-jack a plane the passengers and crew would do whatever is needed to stop you.
This makes us safer in the air, the TSA only puts us at higher risk.
Bob
Dec 20, 2008
Good point Ray, and pretty much the truth.
However, your faith in the average North American is a little stronger than mine. Some planes would have a good group of “we’re not gonna to take it” passengers and they would put up a fight, but a lot of people have gone soft over here.
In some cases with the wrong group of passengers, I think the whole planeload would sit there like terrified sheep. In a case like that, they’d be screwed. And if just one of us were on a plane like that, we’d be all alone and we’d be screwed too. I’m not Harrison Ford or Steven Segal(even though I have been considering growing a sexy pony tail).
Ray
Dec 21, 2008
Bob:
Yeah the sheep, those would be the idiots who elected Obama.
Michael Hampton
Dec 21, 2008
Don’t forget the idiots who voted for McCain.
As it happens, I read a story a while back about a man on a flight who went nuts and started trying to open the plane’s exit door and attacking the flight attendants when they tried to stop them. Despite them repeatedly calling for help, nobody on the plane moved a muscle to help them stop this guy.
I don’t have much faith that your average American will rise up and resist a hijacker.
Jeff Hoyt
Dec 21, 2008
Your average American won’t rise up for anything apart from the next beer.
Our society has developed a counter-productive tendency to keep living at any cost. Folks who won’t risk a bloody nose while tying a nut to his seat are unwilling to risk even the smallest portion of the personal well-being, even while their well-being is being eroded by a government that has taken on the characteristics of a virus – or while the airframe decompresses…
To these people, Nirvana will be reached when someone produces a foam-rubber lawn-mower. (Thanks to Andy Rooney for the expression.)
Line up fifty 25 year-olds from 1950 and fifty 25 year-olds from today and see how many potential test-pilots you get from each group.
Bob
Dec 21, 2008
“Potential test pilots”. I’d like to see the Far Side cartoon image of that one.
Jeff Hoyt
Dec 21, 2008
Present daygovernment-school test-pilotresults.
Jeff Hoyt
Dec 22, 2008
Well, that didn’t work at all. Too bad; it was kinda’ funny…
Marco
Dec 23, 2008
Bob:
Yeah the sheep, those would be the idiots who elected Obama.
Bob
Dec 23, 2008
Hey! Click on Marco and you can buy yourself a fancy watch from Europe! I ordered three from the Schmuck at the bottom.
William G. Sandlin J
Dec 29, 2008
May I please post as a retired Airline Pilot (33 years)?
I retired as an American Airlines Captain & on September 11, 2001 watched two American Airlines Aircraft and their contents utterly destroyed.
Had the federal government allowed 2nd amendment rights to the “People” in those aircraft, none of the highjackings would have been succusful.
Ray
Dec 29, 2008
William I have to in part agree, but mostly disagree.
Remember these planes were hi jacked with box cutters. We have to remember that at the time box cutters were allowed through security because they were not considered dangerous, and by and large they are not. It would not take a person with a gun to stop a guy with a box cutter. One determined person could do it. Heck 10 or 15 5 year olds could take down a guy with a box cutter.
It was the mind set pre9/11 that got us. Once people on the plane found out what was going on the hijackers failed. Nobody could hi jack a plane with box cutters today. They would not survive the attempt. They probably could not hijack a plane with a gun today. People would do what was needed to stop them.
But yes I certainly do agree that an armed citizenry does make the nation safer and more secure. In most cases an armed citizen is not that much help in a situation once it occurs. However look at the case of the Virgina gunman. He is a dead on point because he specifically include in writing that the fact that the students and staff would be unarmed in his planning an decision to carry out his attack. We never know how many attacks and crimes are stopped in the planning stages with the thought of “but what if they have a gun”.
That said a true armed citizenry is one that also fully understands the use of a gun. I grew up in such a community. At 12 I helped take a burglar to jail at shot gun point because he was stupid enough to break into a home in our community. Today we would probably be considered the criminals for actually annoying and stopping a burglar in such a threatening way. Everyone in our community knew about guns and knew how to use them. Not everyone had one, but everyone knew how to use one if needed. Our society today knows nothing about guns. Even those who own a gun don’t generally know how to use it. This is a problem we needed to address. Then we will have the kind of gun control we need, a citizenry in real control of their guns.
you know who
Dec 29, 2008
Your hair looks better red. I like it.
hijack plains
Dec 29, 2008
They could take over a plane with a plastic germ infested knife, fork ect.. They could make weapons out of the seats or anything on the plane. The possiblilities are endless. It does not take much .We are never fully safe. If they are gonna do it they will. That is why we need fbi agents on the plane familiar with all of this to prevent and watch them like hawks. They are well trained.
Mike Ruff
Jan 01, 2009
I find it amusing (granted, I have a very dark sense of humor) that we heard the calls after 9-11 that in order to have “real” security at the airports, we had to have Federal Security–and at almost every military base and secure federal site across the world, the US Federal Gooferment has contracted security to private security companies. Work through the possible reasoning chains on that one.
Agreed
Jan 04, 2009
The FBI are the only people who are trained well enough on not only murphy’s law but, the laws of science that terrorists use to make homemade weapons and destroy us all. They have the power now to destroy the world. It is time to wake up America or we will be gone. Superman (aka Mr. FBI agent where are you now we need more of you just like that song “Land of Confusion’ By Genesis. Please excuse spelling errors. Headache over acts of terror viewed in my hometown are upsetting.
DR Atkinson
Jan 04, 2009
If you really want to know how we got here read FINAL WARNING-A HISTORY OF THE NEW WORLD Ben Hecht and learn about the biggest lie ever fed us.
DR Atkinson
Jan 04, 2009
OOPS a typo.
If you really want to know how we got here read FINAL WARNING-A HISTORY OF THE NEW WORLD and PERFIDY by Ben Hecht and learn about the biggest lie ever fed us.
R
Jan 10, 2009
Thomas Frank’s book, The Wrecking Crew, explains very well how we came to this disaster.
Robert Vogel
Jan 10, 2009
Thomas Frank’s book, The Wrecking Crew, explains very well how we came to this disaster.
Explanation
Robin
Jan 22, 2009
Without reading the other comments, may I say I now truly believe in reincarnation: George Orwell apparently is back, in Michael Chertoff’s body.
Stephanie
Jan 29, 2009
Its surely not glamourous work to infringe on the constitution, abuse power without accountability, and mistreat citizens of the greatest democracy in the world on the federal dime. But what the heck it pays the bills. Holy Toledo!
Jason Curb
Feb 06, 2009
“Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”
Ban what you will, the people willing to do illegal things will do them regardless of law. The American people want protection and we want it to be handed to us. We don’t want to work for it. I am an American who sees that most Americans will screw someone over for gain. The public has forgotten how to take responsibility for their own actions. We are not a responsible people so we ask our government to take away our RIGHTS for SECURITY. Yeah I’m pissed at the people that wish to harm our country, however I have to be willing to do my part and NOT harm it from the inside. We are a disgrace to the outside world because of our slothful apathetic views on society. I don’t want a government that takes away my rights in order to “protect” me. Oh wait but when I was 17 I got convicted of a felony so I don’t have a right to vote, nor do I have the right to bear any firearm. My crime was being angry at a friend and stealing stuff from his house. I am responsible for that so I am not arguing my behavior being right or wrong. What I am arguing is the fact that a NON VIOLENT CRIME OF YOUNG STUPIDITY has cost me my LIFE-LONG FREEDOM. WTF IS THAT? I try not to get into conspiracy theory things because it is fruitless. I don’t see an answer but I at least can see the REAL problem.
Oh by the way. Lets Buy ourselves out of debt. … good going Obama Don’t bail out the banks. Flat tax everything instead of this well you get a little bit and you get a lot of tax. And we the people should have removed Allen Greenspan WAY BEFORE he left.
Crap I’m just ranting now. Sorry guys.
By the way I don’t feel safe. ESPECIALLY FROM MY GOVERNMENT.
“The best government is that which governs least”
Jason Curb
Feb 06, 2009
@ Steephanie
“…But what the heck it pays the bills. Holy Toledo!”
By the way this country is in more debt now than ever.
Colonel Hogan
Mar 10, 2009
I aggree w/ post 26. The Bill of Rights doesn’t say that: ‘The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed… So long as you never commit a felony’. It says: “The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
Jason Curb
Mar 10, 2009
Thank you.
rich
Jan 28, 2010
yea, jason i think the plan is to make a parking ticket a felony. roadblocks to search for drunk drivers, etc, but its all our fault, if we collectively, were to take a stand, we could stop it. there must be a plan to turn us all into sheep.if im drunk, and give a cop a misleading name, thats a felony. if i pay you a thousand dollars for a social security number so i can get on the government cheese, its not only not a crime, its actually, acceptable.