Originally posted by afeent1
If we are really going to get serious about airline security, then we will need to adopt Israel's El Al screening process. EVERY passenger is
literally grilled with 30 minutes of questioning.
Well, the problem is one of logistics, and also of relative danger.
First, the relative danger aspect:
Israel sits in the middle of a hotbed of terrorist activity and global violence, and is also populated by what has historically been the race most
often targeted for extinction. To be honest, I'm surprised that it's only a 30 minute grilling process.
In America, however, we share only 2 borders: Canada, with whom we are friendly, and Mexico, also with whom we are friendly.
Israel gets missiles launched at it by terrorists on a regular basis. They get suicide bombed on a daily basis.
America, on the other hand, averages one terrorist attack every few years.
Israel is actively hated by its neighbors as well as a good portion of the rest of the world, and even some of the members of its military allies.
America, on the other hand, is largely liked, feared, or disliked, but most of the people who actively hate America live overseas (or in the White
House, *rimshot*)
So as far as relative potential danger tp people boarding a plane in Israel vs. people boarding a plane in America, I'd say there's really no
comparison. America is like 10 times safer, when you look at the facts and not the perception.
I should also point out that in addition to the 30 minute grilling process, I'm led to understand that Israeli passenger planes have uniformed guards
with automatic weapons on each flight. THAT would be a HUGE deterrant.
Second, logistics.
www.bts.gov...
The average number of U.S. domestic and international airline passengers, per month, is 64 million, with an average number of flights hovering around
900 thousand, and an average number of passengers around 80 per flight.
Now, just purely from a per flight perspective, 30 minutes worth of grilling for every passenger for every flight would take 40 worker-hours to
complete. Now in order to constantly accomodate 1250 flights per hour (which is again what it averages out to), with a 30 minute grill time, you have
to somehow fit 40 worker-hours into thirty minutes, 1250 times.
That's 100,000 people, nationwide, working constantly, around the clock, doing nothing but grilling passengers before they board. However, people are
not machines, they need sleep, vacation, etc, and the average business has to have at least 4 shifts to cover all hours, and usually overstaffs an
additional shift worth of people to cover the gaps left by sick days, vacation days, etc.
So you're looking at anywhere from 400,000 to 500,000 employees, whom require very extensive and expensive training, whom can be trusted not to abuse
their power, whom are able to get Security Clearance (which takes thousands of dollars and sometimes years to attain), whom not only produce zero
revenue, but are actively discouraging business and upsetting customers. AND they have to be paid well enough to prevent them from considering
bribes.
To put that in perspective, you would need a THIRD of the size of McDonald's GLOBAL work force, just to interrogate people for half an hour before
boarding a flight in America.
Originally posted by Guy Fawkes
After reading the posts in this thread I have to say I’m disappointed and now have no doubt that we are doomed to repeat history.
(snip)
Will we be killing 6 million Muslims before this is over?
No, Guy, I honestly believe we won't. I asked myself that a few times over the last couple of years and even thought about it yesterday while driving
home. No one said America was perfect or that it handles every situation with the ideal amount of balanced consideration for humanity, liberty, and
security whenever a crisis arises. However, we're getting a little bit better at it each time.
When America first become a nation, its first racial target were the Native Americans. They were slaughtered in ways and numbers that would command
respect even from holocaust survivers, if they knew. Next was the Mexicans, who were usually just shot or hung. Then later were the blacks who were
hung, but not as openly, and usually only sickos like the KKK were involved. Then suddenly the Japanese (well, any Asians, really) got thrown into
camps and had their property taken, but were not actively slaughtered. Then anyone who was suspected of being a communist was merely arrested and/or
blacklisted from employment. Later gays were simply ostracized and occasionally beaten up. And now we've arrived at Middle-Easterners, and their
hazing consists of being delayed for a bit at the airport and people wondering if they're packing explosives.
So if you think about it, we really have come a LONG way. I'm not by any means condoning mistreatment of any minority. I happen to be Native
American. Most of my tribe was wiped out by Abraham Lincoln's orders on the same day he signed the Empancipation Proclamation for no more reason
other than the fact they'd sent a protest about being forced from the Great Lakes to Okla-frickin'-homa. So please understand when I say America, as
a nation and government, has REALLY come a LONG way in their treatment and discretion when dealing with a profiled people.
