"In Amsterdam a woman on my flight was pissed because she'd just bought about $500 worth of duty free liquor and skin care products only to have the confiscated at the gate"
Why? Couldn't she read the many signs telling people they can't bring liquids in their carry on?
Wow, that may be one of the first times I read a response to this issue on here that deviates from the knee-jerk "OMG ITS TEH POLICE STATE CAUSE THERE LOOKING IN MY STUFFS!!1!!".
So there you go. There is a million dollar idea: Geek Squad for mafia crime families. "Our geeks are smarter than yours -- if you know what's good for ya".
I think you're going about this the wrong way. All you need to do is rig the computer with a kilo of C4 so that when any key on the keyboard is pressed, it explodes, taking anything the child may have wanted to keep private with it.
The child of course uses a 2nd wireless keyboard to access the box. That one is coated with Iocane, a powerful neurotoxin which the child has spent the last several years ingesting in small quantities to build up a sufficient immunity.
Ah see, there is the rub though. How many things does the government contract out to 'no bid' contractors and or heavily regulate? That isn't exactly a good example of the almighty free market in action.
Look, I'm not trying to say that the government is good at everything or private companies suck at everything. Just that some things make sense for the government to run/regulate, just as much as sometimes the almighty free market is good at running/regulating things. In particular, the free market happens to suck at things that have to get done but have no clear profit motive, and the government happens to be better at things where the market would be forced to cut corners to compete.
Even though they are arguably failing in the practical implementation of the TSA, I believe it is ultimately better off in the hands of the government (or heavily regulated contractors with clear government mandated guidelines, which isn't the free market at work either way).
Yeah, but disrupting shopping in that one store, and perhaps even the whole of Omaha has nowhere near the effect on the economy as a whole that closing even one airport for a few hours does. Its simply a question of bang-for-your buck. I'm not saying it wouldn't be easier to attack grocery stores, just that they aren't very valuable as targets of terrorism.
Hell, I was in a mall in my state only a day after the shooting in Omaha, and it was packed, if that demonstrates how afraid people were that they might get shot at the mall.
The Interstate Road System Social Security (for the past several decades, future notwithstanding) The Internet Operations of The Hoover Dam various offices of the Department of The Interior The Department of Energy arguably the Department of Education, if you consider that private companies wouldn't provide any education at all to poor folks local government transport authorities in some towns Prisons and law enforcement in general The Military Health Care for poor folks
As a bonus, here are some things that private companies have screwed up:
Voting machines Just about anything Halliburton touches in Iraq Private Mercenaries in Iraq Airlines (when was the last time government run airlines in countries that have them filed for bankruptcy?) Just about anything having to do with the environment Distribution of energy (Enron) Telephone communications prior to 1980 or whenever Bell was busted up Health Care for poor folks
Face it, most sane people recognize that there are some things that private companies do well, and there are some things that either the government does well, or just plain has to do because nobody else would do them otherwise. I know I'm not going to convince you, because as an absolutist, you only see things in black and white, but the world does in fact consists of varying shades of gray.
Well, there are many reasons. For one thing, grocery stores in this country are heavily fractured by brand and location. So if the terrorists blew up say, an Acme in New York, the people who don't shop at Acme in New YOrk would probably be more likely to think, "Gee, that's unfortunate, good thing I'm safe because I shop at Giant Eagle in New Jersey" as opposed to "HOLY F**KING SHIT I CAN'T GO TO THE STORE THE TERRAISTS ARE BLOWING THEM UP!!!one!!1".
Another reason would be that the economic damage done by messing with airports has more return on investment than that which would be done by blowing up a store.
For a real life example of these two reasons, look at the shooter in that luxury store in, where was it, Omaha(?) before christmas. What effect did that have on people shopping in the rest of the country? Probably about zero.
Wouldn't the private companies have to eventually bid the jobs down to minimum wage though to compete? Then you would have the same kind of morons who flip your burgers searching you instead of the guys who flunked out of the police academy. Or worse, they'd find a way to outsource it to India...
(Oops.. I must be mod'd down cuz this post contains a fact that the free market isn't the perfect magic solution to absolutely everything. And we can't have that now can we?)
"It's called the Anarchist's Cookbook, google it. Now go start experimenting and blow yourself up."
I don't think you understood the parent. Go back and reread it. He is expressing surprise that common household items could be made out of explosives, like the GP said. And that is indeed shocking. That would mean my stereo, for example, could be made out of C4.
Slashdot Mirror
Speak for yourself! Some of us have superfluous 3rd nipples.
"In Amsterdam a woman on my flight was pissed because she'd just bought about $500 worth of duty free liquor and skin care products only to have the confiscated at the gate"
Why? Couldn't she read the many signs telling people they can't bring liquids in their carry on?
Wow, that may be one of the first times I read a response to this issue on here that deviates from the knee-jerk "OMG ITS TEH POLICE STATE CAUSE THERE LOOKING IN MY STUFFS!!1!!".
Nice work!
"Your stupid arrogant little piddly-ass dumb-fuck laws in KENTUCKY have no bearing on me in Canada."
Then why are you so upset about it?
Cats are tastier with garlic, whereas dogs tend to have a muskier aftertaste. Both go well with a nice Chardonnay.
One word: Toxoplasmosis.
So there you go. There is a million dollar idea: Geek Squad for mafia crime families. "Our geeks are smarter than yours -- if you know what's good for ya".
Jesus Christ
"It is just as impossible to rape them"
Agreed. You can't rape the willing.
"How many died because of internet activity?"
I know I did.
"intelligent libertarians"
Isn't that an oxymoron?
BA-ZING!
I think you're going about this the wrong way. All you need to do is rig the computer with a kilo of C4 so that when any key on the keyboard is pressed, it explodes, taking anything the child may have wanted to keep private with it.
The child of course uses a 2nd wireless keyboard to access the box. That one is coated with Iocane, a powerful neurotoxin which the child has spent the last several years ingesting in small quantities to build up a sufficient immunity.
Some would say that the Earth is *our* Moon. But that would belittle the name of our moon, which is "The Moon".
...Oh wait, yes it is. My bad.
"Scoble's initial list included dialing a rotary phone, using carbon paper to make copies, and changing the gas mixture on your car's carburetor"
Those aren't really 'skills' though. Well, maybe changing the gas mixture on your car's carburetor is.
Ah see, there is the rub though. How many things does the government contract out to 'no bid' contractors and or heavily regulate? That isn't exactly a good example of the almighty free market in action.
Look, I'm not trying to say that the government is good at everything or private companies suck at everything. Just that some things make sense for the government to run/regulate, just as much as sometimes the almighty free market is good at running/regulating things. In particular, the free market happens to suck at things that have to get done but have no clear profit motive, and the government happens to be better at things where the market would be forced to cut corners to compete.
Even though they are arguably failing in the practical implementation of the TSA, I believe it is ultimately better off in the hands of the government (or heavily regulated contractors with clear government mandated guidelines, which isn't the free market at work either way).
Yeah, but disrupting shopping in that one store, and perhaps even the whole of Omaha has nowhere near the effect on the economy as a whole that closing even one airport for a few hours does. Its simply a question of bang-for-your buck. I'm not saying it wouldn't be easier to attack grocery stores, just that they aren't very valuable as targets of terrorism.
Hell, I was in a mall in my state only a day after the shooting in Omaha, and it was packed, if that demonstrates how afraid people were that they might get shot at the mall.
I'll give you several:
The Interstate Road System
Social Security (for the past several decades, future notwithstanding)
The Internet
Operations of The Hoover Dam
various offices of the Department of The Interior
The Department of Energy
arguably the Department of Education, if you consider that private companies wouldn't provide any education at all to poor folks
local government transport authorities in some towns
Prisons and law enforcement in general
The Military
Health Care for poor folks
As a bonus, here are some things that private companies have screwed up:
Voting machines
Just about anything Halliburton touches in Iraq
Private Mercenaries in Iraq
Airlines (when was the last time government run airlines in countries that have them filed for bankruptcy?)
Just about anything having to do with the environment
Distribution of energy (Enron)
Telephone communications prior to 1980 or whenever Bell was busted up
Health Care for poor folks
Face it, most sane people recognize that there are some things that private companies do well, and there are some things that either the government does well, or just plain has to do because nobody else would do them otherwise. I know I'm not going to convince you, because as an absolutist, you only see things in black and white, but the world does in fact consists of varying shades of gray.
Well, there are many reasons. For one thing, grocery stores in this country are heavily fractured by brand and location. So if the terrorists blew up say, an Acme in New York, the people who don't shop at Acme in New YOrk would probably be more likely to think, "Gee, that's unfortunate, good thing I'm safe because I shop at Giant Eagle in New Jersey" as opposed to "HOLY F**KING SHIT I CAN'T GO TO THE STORE THE TERRAISTS ARE BLOWING THEM UP!!!one!!1".
Another reason would be that the economic damage done by messing with airports has more return on investment than that which would be done by blowing up a store.
For a real life example of these two reasons, look at the shooter in that luxury store in, where was it, Omaha(?) before christmas. What effect did that have on people shopping in the rest of the country? Probably about zero.
Wouldn't the private companies have to eventually bid the jobs down to minimum wage though to compete? Then you would have the same kind of morons who flip your burgers searching you instead of the guys who flunked out of the police academy. Or worse, they'd find a way to outsource it to India...
(Oops.. I must be mod'd down cuz this post contains a fact that the free market isn't the perfect magic solution to absolutely everything. And we can't have that now can we?)
"It's called the Anarchist's Cookbook, google it. Now go start experimenting and blow yourself up."
I don't think you understood the parent. Go back and reread it. He is expressing surprise that common household items could be made out of explosives, like the GP said. And that is indeed shocking. That would mean my stereo, for example, could be made out of C4.
You'll get my mp3z, my bittorrentz, and my warez when you pry them from my cold dead hands. FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS!
"2001 called. It wants its tired, over-used meme back."
We've just received a fax from 1992. It's requesting you return its case of the grumpies.
"Now if said product is found in the hands of a minor than the person who purchased the product would have to explain why."
Easy. They stole it. Damn kids.
It doesn't, but at least its *really* efficient at not making sense.