Random Thoughts

Following the Christmas bomber's failed attempt to bring down an airplane in Detroit, the TSA is talking about subjecting travelers to full-body x-rays as part of the pre-flight security rigamarole. Ignoring the dangers inherent in exposing people to yet another source of radiation, because Americans aren't fond of admitting that environmental exposure is one of the big three reasons we develop cancer (along with genetics and lifestyle), let's think about the issue of effectiveness. As I understand it, those x-ray machines can't identify objects in body cavities. You see where this leads, right? Straight to the exploding suppositories...

I imagine the next step will be cavity searches, which I'm pretty sure will spell the end of air travel.

Okay, so fine. We go to high-speed rail, and international travelers start crossing oceans in the way God intended - on boats. The atmosphere breathes a little sigh of relief.

Sadly, there will soon be attacks on trains and boats, which will lead us to a whole new round of security ridiculousness.

Or maybe we could address the root causes of terrorism - poverty and ignorance, and the very bad habit the industrialized nations have of exploiting the Third World and then patting ourselves on the back for our cleverness.

Hm. Not likely to happen, I suppose. But, this being the last day of the worst decade since the '30s, a girl can dream.