Innovator Makes Obvious Point

There is no reason for the TSA, it is ineffectual, a waste of money, and illegal.  But let's assume for a second, in a free market, that an airline desired to have Peep-o-trons as a security device for their airliners.  Dr. Bill Wattenberg four years ago suggested that the human images displayed by distorted by software that would only show contraband, not the human figure.

Doh!  This is why we need free markets.  The scanner can be designed to scan for anything, and they can be designed to output anything.  So why not develop a scanner that looks for anything except human cells, and displays only what is not that... obviously we have scanners that can reach the human skin, just have it filter that before the output...  The screener would see guns, liquids, shivs, powders and plastic, but nothing human.  A screen viewer would see a gun at waste level, or a bottle of liquid strapped at ankle height, nothing more.

But the problem is fundamental:  TSA work is pointless and boring. To make it interesting for the workers, like reality TV, it has to involve humiliation and rejection.  When entering the TSA zone, you will be humiliated, or rejected.  Those are you only options. (What?  You do not find the presumption of guilt when they scan your bag and body with mere metal detectors humiliating?  How quickly your given up your standards, like a good German!) Anything less would leave TSA workers bored to distraction.  Harming others gives meaning to some people.  So Chertoff sells peep-o-trons to the taxpayers, not weapons scanners.

The Republicans will blame this on Obama, and change nothing.  Free markets give more options.

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