Bag Check

XKCD - Bag Check

Being employed in the airline industry, and a frequent flier to boot, I got a good chuckle from this cartoon. The mouse over is especially good. (If you're not familiar with xkcd go check it out here. Whenever the mouse hovers over the picture, additional text pops up.) Sadly, I have resigned myself to both the absurdities and the indignities of airline travel. Putting the Federal government in charge  has done little to make us safer. Nothing against the men and women who work hard, day in and day out, at the TSA, but quite frankly the rules are absurd.

Just this week, I had my water bottle confiscated going into work in Philadelphia. Silly me, I forgot to remove it from my backpack. If only I had thought to avoid the security line completely by using my ID badge to access one of the secured doors to the airport. I could have carried in my bottle of Evian.

Part of the problem with airport security is the fact that screeners will typically miss the dangerous items that are rare, like guns, knives and bombs. On the other hand they will almost always catch the water bottle and the 4.6 ounce tube of toothpaste. Studies have shown that it is very difficult to train for the rare occurrences, but people become very adept at finding the things they see often. Moreover, security personnel expect to see water bottles and such household contraband, which serves to reinforce their ability to find it. All of the hype over these common items actually detracts from the overall effectiveness of bag searches.

Another failure in airport security is the refusal to use profiling techniques that allow security personnel to more easily identify potential security risks. Similar to they way we restrict water bottles and small tools, choosing to randomly search the entire population instead of a more targeted approach actually reduces the odds that law enforcement officials will be able to identify potentially dangerous individuals attempting to pass through security. The current security system is politically expedient, and it is politically correct, but like many bureaucracies, it isn't very efficient or effective.

Like the guy in the cartoon, I used to chafe at the inconsistencies of TSA rules. They have my life history on file, updated regularly, along with my fingerprints, address, phone number, passport information and I expect that they'll be asking for DNA next, and yet security is a hassle. As the years go by, I have resigned myself to suffer in silence, and dream of a day when such things will no longer be necessary. I'm not going to hold my breath.

It is a sad fact that in the past twenty-five years, we have gone from being able to freely access an airport and walk onto an airplane, to subjecting ourselves to removing shoes and other articles of clothing, random searches of our person and property, and seemingly arbitrary rules about carrying a bottle of water with you to work. As we look to the future, how far are we willing to go as a society, to remain safe? How much are we willing to abandon, before the price exceeds the benefits? And in the end, will the sacrifices really make us safer? In the meantime, we should demand better water dispensers in airports.

Religious Freedom

I just read this speech on religious freedom and wanted to post a link to it right away. This is a topic that I want to explore with greater detail soon. Dallin H. Oaks is an Apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, and also a former justice of Utah State Supreme Court. Any person, of any faith, who values religious freedom should read this speech.

I'm thinking that perhaps I should rename the blog, or start another one. Does it really matter what I call it? As any reader can see, Constitutional issues and politics dominate my thoughts right now. Two of my favorite classes in college were taught by Dr. Dennis Dorin and both focussed on Constitutional law and the Supreme Court. I have always had a keen interest in history and politics. As a young boy I would read about world events with fascination. When I try to delve into my earliest memories, there are two things that I have always believed and known to be true. First that God is real, He lives and He is mindful of us. Second, that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness... From the time I first heard these words, they matched the values in my heart, and I have known that this country is founded upon true principles of personal freedom.

While much can probably be said about the education that I received in rural North Carolina in the early 1970s, one of the greatest gifts I received was from Mr. Ronnie Benton who taught, among other things, US History in the 7th and 8th grades. Mr. Benton spent several weeks with our class reading the U.S. Constitution, along with all of the Amendments, and we delved into the various articles, and the their purpose. We explored the background and reasoning - the guiding principle that the Founders followed. He prepared me for Dr. Dorin, whose insights and insistence on Socratic thinking helped deepen my understanding and appreciation for the application of correct principles in government.

I believe that many bad decisions in government are born out of a desire to accomplish some good in the world. However, many others are the result of those who seek to gain power, money or some advantage over others. Our Constitution is the single greatest protection of individual liberty, not only in the US but around the world, and above all, the human soul yearns to be free. If I have a hope for America today, it is that we awake to the fact that our beloved Constitution, and by extension our liberty, is under attack from both side of the political aisle. Let us save it before it is too late. God Bless America.

Robert Palmer

Watched this music video tonight. This song is one of my all time favorites. Heineken used it for several commercials in the 1980s in France. One in particular, I found to be particularly moving. I was hoping to find it on Youtube, but no luck yet. Anyways, check out the soulful vocals of the late great Robert Palmer. The man sure knew how to dress.

Nobel Geopolitics

I have a brother-in-law who works for the Canadian Intelligience Service. Some years ago, he pointed me towards a newsletter by a private intelligence firm. It didn't take long to realize that these guys are dialed in pretty well to what is going on in the world. In addition, they provide insightful analysis of events, and what to expect next. I particularly enjoy reading an article from Stratfor, then hearing about it in the news a couple of weeks later. Moreover, Stratfor's insights are straight forward "spin-free" analysis based on the realities of geopolitics. Dr. George Friedman, the head of Stratfor, had some interesting comments on why the Nobel Prize was given to President Obama. Check it out here.

Real World Politics - Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter

Stephan is a mild-mannered, wiry Frenchman with shortly cropped iron-gray hair and boundless energy. A career army officer and diver, later he moved over to the Gendarmerie (French National Police) where he served as a Captain. Below the calm exterior, his blue-gray eyes belie a determination accustomed to confident command and control. Always looking constructive ways to burn off some energy, Stephan started a charitable organization that bought a sailboat in order to give under-privileged children opportunities to experience new adventures. It was during his tenure with the Gendarmerie that he made his first voyage to Vietnam. The love affair was quickly established. Stephan increased his charitable zeal with renewed gusto. He organized fund-raisers back at home and made multiple trips to Vietnam providing medical supplies to hospitals and clinics. His eyes shone especially bright as he described poor village schools, and the delight of children as he provided them with books, paper, pencils and such. Obviously, the man has a soft spot for the poor and needy.

After retiring from the military, Stephan went to China and began learning the ropes of the Chinese antique business. Over the next few years, he imported furniture and decorative objects – from tiny vases to massive gates – and sold them in antique shows around the country. On one of his many trips around the world, he met the chairman of a group running an elite school in Madagascar. This boarding school takes many of the best and brightest children from around the island nation in hopes of preparing them to be future leaders with the skills necessary to lift the country out of intense and pervasive poverty. Stephan was hired to lead the school and provide the students with adventurous activities on weekends and holidays. His lovely wife, a school teacher, was also hired to work in the school. While the job didn't work out (unfulfilled contract terms on the part of the educational organization), Stephan recognized the great opportunities, and the great needs, in this island paradise. Of course, he fell in love with the people, especially the children. He is still there making contacts and working for economic development. He is trying to teach the people the skills necessary to be competetive in today's global economy. He also had some acerbic comments on the dealings of the United Nations on the Island.

UNESCO and UNICEF have a significant presence in Madagascar in an attempt to alleviate the poverty and human suffering. The UN websites give glowing accounts of small successes – a new well at a school and new educational initiatives – while highlighting the continued plight and suffering of the people. Lest we forget, the organizations are working tirelessly to address the problems. Stephan tells slightly different tale. He described to me a UN project to construct a new school. The “school” turned out to be little more than a rustic, open-air shelter with benches and a chalkboard. The local workers were payed a pittance to build the structure out of simple materials. Meanwhile, UN officials and local politicians through lavish parties (costing much more than the school itself) to celebrate the accomplishment. Far from being an isolated incident, Stephan says that this is the norm. The UN spends extravagantly on junkets and political “events” while occasionally allocating a little on a “project” to help those really in need. He told of one local worker, happy to have a “good” job, yet unable to provide more than a one room cardboard hut for her extended family. The disgust in Stephan's voice, as he recounted the story, was startling. The system is designed, he says, to maintain a steady flow of donations and protect the personal fiefdoms of both the local politicians and the UN bureaucrats.

Sad to say, yet another example of the failure socialist programs to alleviate real human tragedy. You would think that after having witnessed decades of the abuses of power by supposedly well-meaning socialists in Eastern Europe and China, we would wake up to the fact that any system based on these failed (read false) principles cannot successfully lift humanity out of poverty and servitude. Yet we continue to rush headlong into the gaping hole, sacrificing our liberties in the name comfort and safety. In the words of Richard Stallman, the creator of the GNU licensing system for free software, "If you won't accept an inconvenience to save your freedom, you're headed for the gutter." Transparency in government, individual liberty and personal responsibility lead to wealth and freedom. There are ample illustrations of where the alternatives lead. Unless something changes quickly, better put on your golashes.

Dr. Walter Williams - An American Patriot

It's rare when you find another person who can express so many of your own ideas in such an eloquent way. Years ago, I discovered Dr. Walter Williams, and I have been reading his columns off and on for about fifteen years. In many ways Dr. Williams is what I should have been. He's an economics professor (I nearly became an ECON major in college), and he has a keen insight on the Constitution of the United States of America, and of the principles upon which the greatness of our land is based. I encourage all to visit his site at George Mason University and to read through some of his syndicated columns, especially for 2009.

Dr. Williams correctly understands that the success of our society depends upon freedom, and that our freedom depends upon strict limits on the power of the government, especially the Federal Government. He is sounding a warning voice that our way life is under assault, and that assault is directed squarely upon the Constitution. His comments on race in American politics are especially important because he can place race in context of principles and politics without fear of being labeled a racist.

Former President Jimmy Carter, and others, recently stated that opposition to President Obama's policies are driven by racist attitudes. I find these comments outrageous and offensive. While I disagree with many of the policies of the Democratic party, I must say that I felt a great deal of pride in America that a black man could be elected by a white majority. In my opinion, it says a great deal about the progress we have made as a nation. Bigotry is no longer an accepted norm. I am happy to follow a black man as my leader, I just wish it was a different black man with political principles and values that I could support. Therefor, when politicians claim that opposition is based on race instead of policies, they are attempting to deflect attention away from the true source of the opposition, mainly the speedy assault on the remaining vestiges of individual liberties in America.

So, thank you Dr. Williams for defending America with your words. I salute you as a man worthy of the esteem I hold for the Founders of these United States.

Posting again

After a weak start, I've decided that I really need an outlet to express dome of my thoughts and ideas about things going on today. So, I have recommitted to writing the blog. Hopefully, it will engender some discussion whether you agree with me or not .