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by whatshisface 2993 days ago
That's bad, but you have bad and worse. For example in the US the TSA does things the police (and nobody, really,) should never be able to, and they do it without warrants: but that alone does not mean that the US is an authoritarian police state (even though it is more of one than it could be). Likewise, there's a difference between corporate influence in government and outright, socially accepted direct bribery.

This applies to every country, they could all be better or worse: but some of them are currently worse than others.
1 comments
meri_dian 2993 days ago
Having to be scanned to get on a plane seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to have to do. I fly often and I'm glad the TSA exists and does what it does. I don't feel like my liberty is being taken away in the slightest.
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pluto9 2993 days ago
> Having to be scanned to get on a plane seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to have to do.

Even if that scan does little or nothing to actually improve your safety [1]? If I'm going to have my privacy taken away, I want something better in return for it than security theater and wasted taxes.

[1] http://abcnews.go.com/US/tsa-fails-tests-latest-undercover-o...

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wu-ikkyu 2993 days ago
>I'm glad the TSA exists and does what it does. I don't feel like my liberty is being taken away in the slightest.

If you truly believe that, would you be opposed to TSA style x-ray machines, genital pat downs, and strip searches any time you were to go to school, work, get on a bus, etc?

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meri_dian 2993 days ago
Well that would be an inconvenience because I and many others go to work and ride public transport every day. Which is why we don't see TSA checkpoints everywhere; it would be too inconvenient.

People fly infrequently though, and also have a very strong desire to feel safe when flying, so they are for the most part fine with TSA checkpoints. TSA checkpoints are implemented to make people feel safe.

See, it's a balance.

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acct1771 2993 days ago
TSA checkpoints have accelerated to being in subways, etc.

Ratchets only tighten.

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wu-ikkyu 2993 days ago
>Well that would be an inconvenience

So in other words, restricting your liberty or freedom of movement?

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manjushri 2993 days ago
Many chinese citizens feel the same way about the "social credit system".
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