Airport body scan machines come under criticism

from:

http://xenophilius.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/true-spooky-terahertz-waves-tear-apart-dna/

"terahertz waves are the radiation that fills the slot in the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and the infrared. terahertz waves pass through non-conducting materials such as clothes , paper, wood and brick and so cameras sensitive to them can peer inside envelopes, into living rooms and "frisk" people at distance."

okay, so if i understand this correctly, these checkpoints expose me to something that is hotter than an infrared lamp, but not as hot as a microwave oven. but only for a short time.

btw, that dog idea is really good. some of the dogs used for this type of security are 'less threatening' dogs, like labs and smaller dogs. i bet a bomb dog would have gone right for that man's underpants. wouldn't that have been funny! :yeah:

Edited Jan 5, 2010 by ellakate
readability

The reasons I can see are they think we are "The Great Satan". And many of the terrorists have been educated in the US and have seen that we are nice folks. Yet, we are still "The Great Satan".

I'm not sure you can reach out to folks who hate us with a purple passion, enough to blow themselves up.

You might get a very small percentage to have second thoughts - but the majority are in this for the long haul.

steph

exactly!!

we are soooo hated, and many want us dead.

there is no reasoning with that.

leslie

The reasons I can see are they think we are "The Great Satan". And many of the terrorists have been educated in the US and have seen that we are nice folks. Yet, we are still "The Great Satan".

I'm not sure you can reach out to folks who hate us with a purple passion, enough to blow themselves up.

I am always dismayed when I hear Christians say there exists anyone we can't reach out to. Is it that we can't or that we don't want to? If Christ loves the terrorists (and He does), then I have to as well, as hard as it is (and it is hard). I'm not trying to get all religious on anyone, but for most people of faith, their faith affects their worldview, and I am no exception.

Taking another tack, though, why do they think we are the Great Satan? It can't possibly be because we have meddled in the affairs of other nations and peoples for a couple centuries. :uhoh3: Ron Paul has been saying that very thing (that they don't like us because we meddle too much and have had hypocritical foreign policies for many years). 'We' may be nice folks as individuals (and I thnk most people in most places can see the difference between Americans their government) but our government's interference in the business of other nations is one-sided and often hypocritical. It is easier to write them off as terrorists that can't be reasoned with than examine our own governmental policies to see if we can/should be doing anything differently.

I am still against these body scanners, and at 180k a pop, surely our money can be better spent. If I am wrong and there is no reasoning with nor stopping terrorists, then why are we spending all this money on scanners anyway?

Edited Jan 6, 2010 by ElvishDNP

i am always dismayed when i hear christians say there exists anyone we can't reach out to. is it that we can't or that we don't want to? if christ loves the terrorists (and he does), then i have to as well, as hard as it is (and it is hard). i'm not trying to get all religious on anyone, but for most people of faith, their faith affects their worldview, and i am no exception.

although i am not "christian", you and i 'world-view' commonalities.

and you also know that i detest the war and anything violent.

christians et al, can possibly reach out on a 1:1 level...but not as country to country.

they hate us...regardless of the reasons....they hate us.

and so i think it's that we "can't", not that we don't want to.

taking another tack, though, why do they think we are the great satan? it can't possibly be because we have meddled in the affairs of other nations and peoples for a couple centuries. :uhoh3: ron paul has been saying that very thing (that they don't like us because we meddle too much and have had hypocritical foreign policies for many years). 'we' may be nice folks as individuals (and i thnk most people in most places can see the difference between americans their government) but our government's interference in the business of other nations is one-sided and often hypocritical. it is easier to write them off as terrorists that can't be reasoned with than examine our own governmental policies to see if we can/should be doing anything differently.

i totally agree, and could even bring it a couple of notches up.

we (the usa govt) are not just the altruists that some believe.

we are also incredibly arrogant, presumptuous and faaaaar from innocent.

i am still against these body scanners, and at 180k a pop, surely our money can be better spent. if i am wrong and there is no reasoning with nor stopping terrorists, then why are we spending all this money on scanners anyway?

so they can't blow up a bunch of innocent lives?

are you being serious or facetious?

even if there is no stopping them or changing their minds, doesn't mean we should lay down and let them kill us...

leslie

so they can't blow up a bunch of innocent lives?

are you being serious or facetious?

even if there is no stopping them or changing their minds, doesn't mean we should lay down and let them kill us...

i'm not saying lay down and let them kill us. i'm saying, will this make that any less likely? i'm not convinced it will as long as the root cause still exists.

getting at the root cause is a way better idea, imo. a lot fewer innocent lives will be lost worldwide.

although i am not "christian", you and i 'world-view' commonalities. and you also know that i detest the war and anything violent. christians et al, can possibly reach out on a 1:1 level...but not as country to country.

i guess i'm saying it dismays me that christians would buy into the mindset that we have to meet hate with more force, violence, and hate, when our founder constantly and consistently preached against it. he gave no qualifiers that it's restricted to 1:1 interactions. does anyone remember the amish community's response to the schoolhouse massacre a few years ago? that is what i'd like to see more of. it's not a popular pov, and not easy to practice. but i'm convinced, after having seen enough of what meeting hate with hate, or meeting violence with retaliation does, that it's the only way that will work in the long run. sorry....getting off-topic.

Edited Jan 6, 2010 by ElvishDNP

Getting at the root cause is a way better idea, IMO. A lot fewer innocent lives will be lost worldwide.

I guess I'm saying it dismays me that Christians would buy into the mindset that we have to meet hate with more force and violence and hate. All it is doing is creating a cycle.

yes, (and for me, of course!), getting to the root cause would be ideal.

i was merely addressing a more immediate and focused response, re body scanners.

but yes, i remain TOTALLY against this war (and all wars).

educating/reconditioning the enemy, would be a lengthy and complex process.

in the meantime and while they hate us, i'll opt for protecting ourselves and ea other.

note that i am speaking defensively, with no plans or interest in being 'offensive'/proactive.

finally, i agree with the 2nd statement above- i don't understand it either.

leslie

I saw someone today, don't remember the name, but it was someone with expertise in airport security, say that the gender of the person being scanned cannot be determined from the image. I'm sure those opposed to screening will find information to the contrary. And after 9-11, all the airport security stuff became a cost to airlines. I don't know if that is still the case, but I do know that.

on the topic of the usa trying to tell the rest of us how to live etc ..........

......... this is in the news here today ................. :)

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/6648987/us-captain-opens-fire-darwin-women

fyi ..... darwin is hot hot hot! hence, most folks dress accordingly. maybe the honourable captain hasn't noticed the weather because he's too busy eyeing off the ladies!!! lol

this particular comment below in the article expresses what one op wrote in relation to why americans are sometimes resented in other countries ........

"another bloody american trying to educate the world," one person wrote

disclaimer: none of the opinions in the article or the selected piece are in any way the opinion of myself.

i'm merely passing on what i've read. :)

Edited Jan 6, 2010 by Grace Oz

on the topic of the usa trying to tell the rest of us how to live etc ..........

......... this is in the news here today ................. :)

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/6648987/us-captain-opens-fire-darwin-women

fyi ..... darwin is hot hot hot! hence, most folks dress accordingly. maybe the honourable captain hasn't noticed the weather because he's too busy eyeing off the ladies!!! lol

this particular comment below in the article expresses what one op wrote in relation to why americans are sometimes resented in other countries ........

"another bloody american trying to educate the world," one person wrote

 

 

and several iin the comments following the piece agreed with the captain, including one woman, size 8,who admits to stuffing herself into a size 4, so that her boobs will pop out.