Ballad of the TSA (With apologies to Barry Sadler)

Bloated agents with rubber gloves

Fearful men only a mother could love

Women who mean just what they say

The brave souls of the TSA

(Chorus)

Rubber gloves upon their hands

Men and women, guard America’s land

One hundred more will test today

And all will work for TSA

Trained to seek the terrorist band

Trained in screening, hand to hand

They are those who guard our gates

Finding ways to make us late

(Chorus)

Rubber gloves upon their hands

Men and women, guard America’s land

One hundred more will test today

And all will work for TSA

Back in line a young wife waits

Her aged mother has met her fate

Searched by agents arm in arm

Her depends have caused alarm

From up ahead she hears this plea

Wait, wait, I have to pee

(Chorus)

Rubber gloves upon their hands

Men and women, guard America’s land

One hundred more will test today

And all will work for TSA

Put rubber gloves on Grandson Nate

Make him share in this here fate

One hundred more will test to day

Make him head of TSA  

Ode to TSA

In the aftermath of a day so dark,

We knew for sure there was a spark

The nation and world turned upside down,

While DC bureaucrats ran around

The sky was emptied of the planes

And caused the FAA lots of stuff to 'splain

(We didn’t know then, what we don’t know now)

But surely we have to make things safe,

Searching people all over the place

We needed a force, true and strong

Willing to guard us all day long

Working hard as bees

Screening us from all we see

The nation called for the best,

Finally settling for the rest

The biggest challenge in the race   

Was when mall cops said ... below my taste

So now these 10 years hence

There stands this group, alert and tense

Trained to find threats wherever they are

They know no standard above the bar

We need not fear of death dear friends

While TSA checks each our soiled depends

TSA to their credit it seems

reviewed their process with eye so keen

and found no fault in their approach

for diaper wearing women must evoke

symbols of terror in all us common folk

What is the Right Size for a Federal Government?

Since the approval of the Constitution, the Federal government has done many things.  Once of the things it has done quietly is grow, and grow, and grow!  In times of feast it has grown, in times of famine - it has grown, in times of strife - it has grown, in times of peace -- well you get the idea.  I think right now there are at least 19 million federal, state and local government employees in the US.  That is one government employee for every 15.2 non-government employed citizens (including kids).

As an employee of that very same government even I have to ask, when will we have enough people living off the wealth created by others?  As I look at my paycheck, when compared to the average, I don’t have much to complain about, but should it be that way?  Should the average salary of a federal employee far outstrip the that of the average tax payer?  I think the answer to this is “well yes, maybe, if they want the Federal Government to do everything for them!”

One of the questions I’ve not heard asked in the latest round of the election debates is what should the citizen expect from his or her government (at any level)?  There are those on the extreme right who would argue for something akin to complete Laissez-faire, where the government has no interaction between private parties.  History has shown the consequence is the individual is at the mercy of the large corporation.  For example, those wealthy families who made their fortunes in the late 1800’s off the possible exploitation of the common man, people like the Vanderbilt’s s, the Mellon’s, and the Rockefeller’s.  

On the opposite side is the left, those individuals who believe government should be all encompassing, the government should be there to save and protect them from all the problems with life.  Each of us should be equal and all should share in the wealth of all.  The role of government is to provide that mythical safety net so that no matter what they will have a comfortable life.

Today, we have examples where industry will sell products they know to be flawed.  The question is should there be government oversight or should the issues be resolved through litigation.  Should there be an expectation the government will set some level of safety requirement?  If so, how intrusive and oversightful should it be?  If we are looking to have government protect us from all evil, how big and how intrusive must it become?

Perhaps it is the difference between the left and the right that is creating all the controversy with the new TSA procedures.  Is it reasonable to expect the government to be solely responsible for the safety of air travelers?  In my pervious life I was involved with  units designated as a counter-terror forces.  They were organized, trained and equipped to seek out terrorist and resolve, through a proactive approach, the problem they were creating.  This is significantly different than the anti-terrorist activities TSA is designed for.  The mission of TSA is to prevent terrorist activities.  Will they be successful by causing the average traveler to become alienated from the government?

These new TSA procedures are implemented as regulations.  They are not laws voted on by the Congress and signed by the President.  They are policies made up and implemented by government bureaucrats and political appointees who are not subject to elective recall.  Keep that in mind when you think about how big our government should be and how much you expect it to do for you.

In the words of Senator Barry Goldwater 

“Now those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth, and let me remind you they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyranny.”

 I would vote for smaller government.  

TSA Enhanced Screening Explained

I discovered this and thought it linked nicely with my post from yesterday.  It explains the process much better than I can.   WB, thank RA Crankbait for me...

So What are You Doing for the Next Two Years?

A fortnight ago those American’s so inclined went to the polls to take their shot at government reform.  An increasing number opted for voting early, or in absentee so technically they made their choices even earlier.  What was the outcome of that exercise in democracy?  Well, on the surface we all shifted the balance of power in the Congress from left to right, kind of.   There was much gnashing of teeth, beating of breasts, and claims of doom or salvation, take your pick.

I see in the news today the Democrats have elected as their leaders in the House and Senate the same visionary team they had for the last Congress.  Ditto for the Republicans.  Boy they have done such a bang up job working together for the last two years we can clearly look forward to great and wonderful harmony, cooperation, and focus on the Nation’s problems.

Ah well, life goes on.  

On a related note, Mr. Olbermann has survived his indefinite suspension with all the good grace we’ve come to expect from this whimsical, mirth-filled, commentator.  From the extracts of his show it appears that his singular agenda for the foreseeable future will be to explain why he and MSNBC are pure as the driven snow, and no-where near as bad as the clearly far-right ultra-conservative rabble rousers at Fox.  I am sure along the way he will bow to the will of the people and reinstate the “worst person in the world” segment we all now recognize as the humorous, light hearted jab at those who may not be as enlightened as he and his core audience.

It appears Glen Beck and Bill O’Reilly are holding up under the pressure and between them raking in a tidy sum.  Clearly this is why they must favor tax cuts for the rich.  Although I would be guessing, I bet Keith Olbermann is making more than a buck two ninety-eight himself, I have to assume he is donating everything above the minimum TV Commentator scale to help pay for the social programs he supports.

I had a chance to go through the new heightened security screening at Reagan-Washington National Airport this morning.  Three observations: TSA agents have a hard job, they don’t set policy but are stuck carrying it out (I am not sure if you need a HS diploma or not to be a TSA agent, but I am betting some of them have GEDs).  The pat down would be a lot more fun if the TSA agents that were doing them didn’t weigh 300 lbs or look like they were 90 years old.  Finally, why can’t we get copies of the full body scan to hang up at home?  It reminds me of Hans Solo after he pissed off Jabba the Hut in StarWars.  Clearly these could be like the brass rubbings we did on tombs in England.  

Anyway, back to the question at hand -- what will I be doing for the next two years?  I will be wondering if there is a way to get Congress to work.