Is all this security making us safer?

[Danoff]

So how many times have you walked past the guys with the assault rifles at the checkpoints with a bag or a cell phone or something and they didn't bother checking it??

Let's take a hypothetical case.

Terrorist walks up to a stadium with a turbin on his head, big black trench coat, a large backpack on his back, and a detonator in his hand. Ok, if that happens the guys with assault rifles are likely to take him down.

Let's take another case.

Terrorists recruit a young white female and die her hair blonde (because they wouldn't want to use real blondes because we all know they're stupid). Do you think that the dudes (and ladies that look like dudes) at the checkpoint are going to check her purse for bombs??? To borrow a phrase from seinfeld - "what is that? a hairdryer with a scope on it, that looks fine. Let's see here, some sort of bowlingball candle? That looks ok. Move along."

Sure they look in the purse, but they see a cell phone cover, something that looks like a wallet, some keys and then think it looks fine.

I've personally walked through checkpoints with plenty of things in my pockets and their "random" searches never come to me (perhaps because they're profiling anyway).

Let's take a third case.

Terrorists have trouble recruiting fair skinned people so instead they put a bomb in a brand new teddy bear. Some kid picks it up and walks right through the checkpoint.

Let's take another case.

Terrorist slips a small explosive into someone's pocket.

Let's take another case. Terrorists actually get jobs as janitors in the stadium and plant the bombs beforehand.


Ok so is all this checking doing us any good? We all know they're barely checking anything. So where are the bomb sniffing dogs? Where are the X-ray machines? Do we really have to be subject to a random strip search surrounded by guys with rifles? Couldn't the money be better spent on some technology that can check for this stuff?

What do you think? Do you like the searches? Do they make you feel safer? Do you think they're effective?

 

[Slick Rick]

I think its partly to do with intimidation. If someones planning on blowing something up their already going to be nervous no matter how much training they've been through and if they see some guards with guns and stuff, their going to be A LOT more nervous which makes it easier for them to spot.
Thats one of the reasons i think their there but probally not THE reason.

 

[Flame-returns]

To blow up a stadium a terrorist would need lots of explosives, too much to fit in a pocket.

 

[blargonator]

not everyone is intimidated by death, obviously if they are willing blow themselves up it means nothing to them (im just talking about suicide bombers obviously).
honestly, i never really felt in danger to begin with. it's kind of a hassle to me, but i might fly once a year so i guess its not really a huge deal. either way, i don't feel like we are any safer than we were a few years ago but as i said, i don't feel anything is in iminent danger either. kind of a wierd topic for me to discuss, i can't really talk much on the subject because im not really a big events kind of guy so i don't get bothered with that stuff except at the airport.

 

[Danoff]

To blow up a stadium a terrorist would need lots of explosives, too much to fit in a pocket.

That's true...


But people are packed in close together in stadiums. With the explosives that could fit in a pocket, a terrorist could kill 10-15 people maybe? Maybe more.

Or they could rig the bombs to take out the support structure of one part of an upper deck. The fall would kill a bunch of people.

Or they could release a nerve gas or virus or something else that's airborn and kill a bunch of people - anthrax for example.

Not to worry, you're very safe at the stadium.

 

[FoolKiller]

Guys with assault rifles are only the security you see. Guards and random bag checks are mainly a deterrent and maybe they will get lucky and catch someone trying something, but they are only preventing a copycat or an amateur. The true security happens where you can't see it.

Stopping the skilled and the determined takes something more behind the scenes because those kinds of terrorists will find a way through teh visible security. They can only be caught by the things they weren't aware was there to be avoided.

The CIA has agents die every year with very few foreign relations issues coming up. So, when you ask if security is making you safer ask yourself what did those dead operatives discover to get them killed? How many things did the operatives that didn't die stop? What security do we not know about because knowing it would mean those it was intended to stop would also know.

So, do I feel safer when I see a guard with an assault rifle searching thorugh someone's bags? No, because only luck and stupidity on the part of a potential terrorist will mean he will stop something. But do I feel safer knowing he is just the tip of the iceberg? Yes, because I know that someone, somewhere is using skill and technology to stop the things that I don't know about and cannot see.

 

[Swift]

I don't feel safer. Infact I think it's ludicrous that we have to go through all these stupid checks because our gov't doesn't want to cut it from the source. 👎

 

[PS]

Not to mention all this "high alert" bomb threat crap. "America is at yellow today, be carefull, blah blah blah I'm praying on your fears and pretending to look out for you so you'd vote for me in office again blah blah blah" etc. You can thank your president for all of this, but personally, as it has affected Canada, I hate it. Security guards aren't going to stop a terrorist from doing their job, they might stop some drunk wandering around but that's about it. It's pointless, it's a ploy for the gullible to give support to you-know-who.

Canadians, however, are generally pissed off because one or two of the airplanes hijacked came from here, and now we have to go through the same airport security BS. They could have at least hijacked the planes in the same country they were targeting, jeez, have some consideration for people.

So, in my conclusion, I'm going to say "no". It slows down border crossings, has made air-fare expensive, and is a huge hassle. Not to mention those warnings and alerts go largely ignored, so you/they/him/whatever should probably quit spending tax money on it.

 

[Tacet_Blue]

Is all this security making us safer?

Well after the second attempt at bombing London, you have to say no...but...

It is prudent in this current climate, the alternative is to reduce the security and "just hope" no one takes advantage, that would be ludicrous.

If a crime could have been prevented by the use of a simple metal detector or sniffer dog and due to a stand down in the state of alert of even cut backs can you imagine the backlash from the victims family when they learn that there was no attempt to prevent it.

There is the aspect of your government being seen to be doing something.
Most of the effort is behind the scenes intelligence, it is just as important for the public to actually see that things are being done.

Our Prime Minister admitted yesterday that security alone will never completely prevent a determined attack, it is the source that we are now after, the recruiting and brainwashing programs.
There has been progress in the cooperation between police and the Muslim community.
Terrorists will soon get the message that they are no longer tolerated by Islam and are not welcome to worship or seek safety in Mosques. They are being named and shamed.

The terrorists are not Muslim, they are murderers, it is the genuine Muslims that are seeking them out with the most determination untill they restore the good name of their religion.

This is how we prevent further attacks "not with force but with guile", but the security will remain until we stop the seemingly endless line of fools willing to blow themselves up and take innocent lives.

 

[PS]

Is all this security making us safer?

Well after the second attempt at bombing London, you have to say no...but...

It is prudent in this current climate, the alternative is to reduce the security and "just hope" no one takes advantage, that would be ludicrous.

If a crime could have been prevented by the use of a simple metal detector or sniffer dog and due to a stand down in the state of alert of even cut backs can you imagine the backlash from the victims family when they learn that there was no attempt to prevent it.

There is the aspect of your government being seen to be doing something.
Most of the effort is behind the scenes intelligence, it is just as important for the public to actually see that things are being done.

Our Prime Minister admitted yesterday that security alone will never completely prevent a determined attack, it is the source that we are now after, the recruiting and brainwashing programs.
There has been progress in the cooperation between police and the Muslim community.
Terrorists will soon get the message that they are no longer tolerated by Islam and are not welcome to worship or seek safety in Mosques. They are being named and shamed.

The terrorists are not Muslim, they are murderers, it is the genuine Muslims that are seeking them out with the most determination untill they restore the good name of their religion.

This is how we prevent further attacks "not with force but with guile", but the security will remain until we stop the seemingly endless line of fools willing to blow themselves up and take innocent lives.

True, but it's also discouraging to know that the USA was fully aware of a terrorist attack in August and whle Bush was on vacation and did nothing about it.

 

[smellysocks12]

All this talk about the security is giving me a headache, it doesn't make me feel safer.

 

[Danoff]

True, but it's also discouraging to know that the USA was fully aware of a terrorist attack in August and whle Bush was on vacation and did nothing about it.

Yes yes yes our president is a murdering bastard who likes to see people die regardless of their nationality - unless they have oil in which case they are his favorite person - unless he can kill them for their oil in which case he goes back to being a murderous bastard.

Thanks for playing Canadian for a little while. As you say, I'm sure that the president figured he'd go on vacation and allow terrorist to kill thousands so that he could get re-elected. He is a criminal mastermind afterall.

 

[PS]

Yes yes yes our president is a murdering bastard who likes to see people die regardless of their nationality - unless they have oil in which case they are his favorite person - unless he can kill them for their oil in which case he goes back to being a murderous bastard.

Thanks for playing Canadian for a little while. As you say, I'm sure that the president figured he'd go on vacation and allow terrorist to kill thousands so that he could get re-elected. He is a criminal mastermind afterall.

I didn't say that. I just said he didn't do anything to stop it, and he didn't. He is in no way a criminal mastermind, he can barely speak proper English.

 

[blargonator]

<8- D he has a point about the english. smelly socks basically took care of my thoughts.

 

[Danoff]

I didn't say that. I just said he didn't do anything to stop it, and he didn't. He is in no way a criminal mastermind, he can barely speak proper English.

You said he knew about the threat and didn't do anything to stop it and implied that it was so that he would get re-elected. That would make him a murderer and a pretty smart one.

You obviously haven't listened to our president. I can guarantee that if he had thought it was possible that so many people would be killed he would have done what he did after the attacks - go apes*it increasing the size of government to try to stop it.

One thing I can say about our president is that he gets pretty worked up about security. He cares deeply about random people (that I can't care all that deeply about). Oh but, no he's a greedy evil murderer who only cares about getting re-elected and oil - I forgot.

Anyway can we get back to the security stuff and quit bashing the evil evil evil US president?

 

[emad]

It doesn't make me feel safe. It makes me nervous as hell. Because I'm Muslim and Pakistani, and because of the wonderful patriot act (Canada has one too), I was afraid to buy a decent amount of fireworks for Canada Day (Canadian equivilant of the 4th of July).

I love photography, but I get nervous having 2, sometimes 3 cameras with me when I'm downtown to take architectural shots because I might give someone the wrong impression (patriot act again - they can arrest you simply because you look suspicious)

Then of course, there's airports and train stations. In light of the London bombings, the security at the train station I go through for school on a daily basis has been increased to the point where they don't even allow people to take photos in there. Luckily, I haven't had to go through the station for a few weeks since school is out and I haven't had much to do in downtown.

Seriously though, I don't believe that these security checkpoints are going to do anything. They're there just for show - It gives people the sense of security. Not that they're sitting idly by doing nothing, I'm certain that major centers have people going around undercover and whatnot for real security purposes.

 

[vladimir]

stadiums checkpoints where dudes with assault rifles hang around? were the hell do you live?

 

[the_undrtaker89]

I think its partly to do with intimidation. If someones planning on blowing something up their already going to be nervous no matter how much training they've been through and if they see some guards with guns and stuff, their going to be A LOT more nervous which makes it easier for them to spot.
Thats one of the reasons i think their there but probally not THE reason.

The thing is these guys are trained like it was their religion. And they think they are killing themselves so they can free themselves of their sins. It's pretty much all about race, if HE isn't white or black I guess they are goin to check him. And they say they are "randomly" checking. Bull****.

 

[ledhed]

You need to look after yourself . Security precautions can help but the bottom line is anyone can be killed at any time if someone wants them dead and is willing to do anything to make it happen . Your not entirely safe no matter what you do so why worry ? Be aware of what is going on around you and limit your risks . The morons cant be every place ...if you see one kill it or run .