[DrJ]

I wish we could get rid of the TSA and spend that resources somewhere else, CIA, FBI, NSA, hell send it to DoE, NSF, maybe fund (more) research in practical(?) renewable energy.

But killing the TSA is never going to happen. No career politician is going to commit political harikiri to shut it down.

- I do not mind the free hand rubs at the airports though.

[lukifer]

America's had a decade of airport frustations and no new (successful) attacks to re-inflame their fears. While it may be impossible to undo the existence of the TSA, a "common sense" reform initiative would probably be very popular, possibly even bi-partisan.

Sadly, the biggest obstacle would probably be the fear of eliminating jobs, which no politician wants to be known for, even if those jobs are mostly a waste of human labor. This is a broader problem of government bloat, and probably out of the scope of this discussion.

[nextparadigms]

Ron Paul wants to shut it down.

[mahyarm]

Before the TSA, we had xray luggage scanners and metal detectors world wide. Now how the majority of the public interacts with the TSA at airports, you go through a metal detector or body xray and xray luggage scanners. What else has changed?

[ams6110]

We had xray inspection of carry-on luggage. Checked bags, and especially cargo, didn't really get inspected at all, before 9/11.

[Terretta]

Lockerbie didn't get us excited enough--it happened over there.

[Natsu]

I've thought about that and I wonder if it couldn't be gotten rid of by scaling back its activities over time and merging its duties into another organization until it gets swallowed whole.

[pitdesi]

Completely agree with you, except for one point... Ron Paul (a republican candidate for president) wants to abolish the TSA: http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/tsa/188271-ro...

This is not a place for political discussion (so please don't make it one, people!), but he certainly qualifies as a career politician, having been in congress 35 years.

EDIT: lots of downvotes... I'm just stating a fact in response to the DrJ's statement... what is the cause for your downvoting?

[aeturnum]

I think the downvotes may be because you don't note the difference between saying you support a thing and actually pushing something through.

It's quite easy to say you support something that will never get to the floor and score political points - many politicians use this technique to score points with their "base." Ron Paul, in particular, has a number of professed views which are untested. Until Mr. Paul has enough political capital to disband the TSA and does so, it's disingenuous to credit with doing it.

[ams6110]

what is the cause for your downvoting

Probably people reading an endorsement of Ron Paul in your post, though none is really there.

[cookiecaper]

Heh, I thought it was probably the implication that Paul was a career politician although he is primarily a gynecologist. He continues to deliver babies when he's in Texas and he has spent a few terms out of office (practicing medicine) since he was first elected in the 70s. Maybe that's a self-interested assumption that exposes my own leanings, though.