"You're going to 'pat' me WHERE?!"

A passenger whose sensibilities might be offended by a whole-body scan will be able to opt, instead, for a "pat-down." OK by me, as long as the screeners are required to manually inspect the passenger's genitalia and thoroughly explore his/her body cavities.

Do No Harm

The prime directive of the physician should be to alleviate suffering, not (necessarily) to employ every nostrum and device at his disposal to delay the Grim Reaper and prolong a bitter end.

Profiling Revisited

In the wake of the recent terrorist attempt...

Telltale Droppings

Friday, September 26, 2008
Profiling

How come when profiling identifies certain White males as likely perpetrators, it's considered a useful law enforcement tool; but if a profile, however valid, identifies Blacks or Hispanics (or Arabs) as more likely offenders, it's branded "racial profiling" and called discriminatory?

To better secure public transportation, police planned random passenger searches--random to avoid accusations of racial or ethnic profiling. But if we are serious about security (and absent sufficient resources to search everyone), racial/ethnic profiling is precisely what we should, and must, be doing. To date, most terrorists have been, or looked like, Pakistanis or Saudis. Yes, I know that only a small percentage of Pakistanis and Saudis are terrorists; still, I am unaware of a single terror incident involving a blonde, blue-eyed Norwegian or Swedish suicide bomber. Innocents unfortunate enough to fit valid profiling criteria ought not be subjected to gratuitous harrassment, but they should anticipate, and accept, some occasional inconvenience. Police should employ the Willy Sutton principle: Go where the money is--search Achmed, skip Sven!

Saturday, September 27, 2008
Profiling II

Protestors against police profiling might feel more righteous if cops conducted spot checks of blue-haired White grannies--but would they feel safer?

Fitting a valid profile does not, of course, mean that one is a terrorist (drug dealer, rapist, pedophile, serial killer, whatever); but it does, unquestionably, increase the likelihood--and that, identifying increased likelihoods, is what profiling is (supposed to be) all about.

If you are swarthy and Semitic-looking, pardon my political incorrectness, but step aside and empty your backpack!

Sausage-making

The heath care-reform debacle is exposing the ugly underbelly of American politics and the vulnerability of our republic, for all the world to see.

Joe Lieberman, King Maker

Finally, a worthy successor to Tom Delay as Most Dangerous Politician in America!

Debtor Nation

When the U.S. pledges a billion dollars to help protect the rain forests, don't we first have to ask whether China will lend it to us?

Sportin' Life knew...

President Obama's legislative philosophy seems to be that any bill is better than no bill. "It ain't necessarily so." As I understand the compromise health care reforms that the president now supports, they would increase benefits and numbers of insureds without mandating meaningful controls on prices and volume of services--a blank check for providers and insurers, and a surefire formula for financial disaster.

Longer, Fewer

Increases in longevity must be commensurate with reductions in fecundity.

On the Evils of Socialism

From: F.
Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 8:05 AM
Subject: wow OOOOOOOOooooooops - she let it slip !!

[Video catches Representative Maxine Waters' blooper--uttering the dreaded "S" word]


To: F.
Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 9:43:26 AM

Scary indeed! Wake up, America!--unless we remain ever-vigilant, we could become like all those socialistic Scandanavian countries whose citizenry are safer, better educated, healthier, happier, and longer-lived than we.


From: F.
Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 8:53 AM

I don't know about the Scandanavians, but I have several friends from the UK who will argue that they are not safer, healthier and happier with their forms of socialism.


To: F.
Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 10:11 AM

I suggest your "several friends in the UK" take more time to smell their socialist roses instead of idealizing the American Dream/Delusion. FYI (and theirs), a few minutes on the Internet produced the following:
US ranks 24th internationally in murder rate, UK 46th.
The incarceration rate in the US is 737 per 100,000 residents; in the UK, 139 (in 2008, the US accounted for 5% of the world's population and 25% of the world's imprisoned population).
US ranks 13th for overall Happiness, UK 9th.
US ranks 38th for life expectancy, UK 22nd.
US teen (ages 15-19) pregnancy rate = 52/1000 (#1 internationally) vs UK = 30/1000.
In reading proficiency (of 31 countries rated), US students = 15th, UK = 7th; in math, US = 19th, UK = 8th; in science, US = 14th, UK = 4th.
Looks to me like the Brits may, indeed, be "safer, healthier and happier" (and smarter!) "with their forms of socialism."
Always a pleasure e-chatting with you.

Right Isn't Always Wrong

It pains me to agree with John McCain, but I do share his view that President Obama's public revelation of a finite timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan was "unnecessary," perhaps ill-advised--a politically-expedient bone for doves but unsound military strategy.