Perhaps it is a measure of confidence in this day and age. The Orange County delegation to the United States Macabbeah games, this kinda Jewish olympics thing for kids, has decided to not wear the t-shirts that they’ve already purchased and printed. Why? Because they are going on a plane, and there are 40 of them, and the shirts say “JCC” (Jewish Community Center) and, although I’m not certain, probably have a Star of David or some such symbol on them.


We have federalized airport screeners, massive lines, triple ID checks, armed military personnell, bomb-sniffing dogs, the works, and people are still not comfortable traveling on planes. So I guess our security measures, for all their hassle, are not working.


I try to take a more logical view of the thing. The Arab terrorists tend to follow certain patterns, scouting locations, having patience, taking a long time to make sure they get it right. They aren’t prone to random killings, they like doing things that are big. I would not worry about traveling on an airplane over the next year or so. The terrorists are smart enough to know that there are plenty more much less protected targets for them to blow up.


Ya know, we talk about government excess and mismanagement, and I talk about outdated systems and stupid old procedures. My dad tells me about an article he read that examined the FBI mentality, part of which is the idea that “real” cops don’t use computers. With all of this wonderful tracking technology, super-duper spyware, powerful censorware, great snooping and sniffing tools, our government is no good at targeting the people who matter. Is it that they are incompetent? Should I stop worrying about infringements of liberty, and instead worry about how crappy our spy agencies are?


Or perhaps I should look to the failed war on drugs and other initiatives with no clear goals or aims but to use huge amounts of money to make the public feel warm and fuzzy. For how much I hate the idea of running the government like a for-profit enterprise, I seem to keep finding myself agreeing with those people who think that we need real accountability, and perhaps the best way of getting it is through a true free-market approach. As in, no sweet deals, no politics, just results.