46 Comments
User's avatar
Michael Barry's avatar

At the time TSA, or something like it was under consideration it was pointed out that the Israelis used private security services at their airports. Few, if any country on earth lives with the daily security threats that Israel experiences. Instead of emulating Israel’s system, we created a whole new federal agency along with the unionized federal workforce that comes with such agencies. A great opportunity was missed.

Trey Dimsdale's avatar

I regularly fly through one of the US airports with private security. It is excellent. TSA is a union-driven boondoggle.

Sea Sentry's avatar

No opportunity missed for the unions, nor for their Democrat patrons. That's the whole idea. Get everyone working for the government. It's the recipe for a bloodless coup.

Jewish American Patriot's avatar

It was the head of El Al security who offered their method for FREE and our Congress said no twice. Their boy Chartoff had all those machines they already bought with our money.

GBM's avatar
Mar 18Edited

I did not see your contribution until I had submitted mine. Great minds think alike! See above!

Howardo's avatar

TSA—Troglodyte Support Agency

rebrannin@aol.com's avatar

Great idea. Now for airport traffic control and the post office.

Gray's avatar

I can't like that enough.

Sea Sentry's avatar

Low hanging fruit. Agree.

GBM's avatar

I distinctly remember in the wake of 9/11 of the wave of pressure from Democrats to make airport security a government entity destined to be unionized and then the Republicans caving. I had a really bad feeling that has borne out over time. I took the opportunity to travel to Israel in December 2001 and found the private security team contracted but not employed by the Israeli government. They were so professional, thorough, and efficient. I thought then as I think now that we should always look to the Israelis for alternate models of how to organize society!

Bryan donahue's avatar

I agree. Privatize anything the government does. Health care. FDA. Medicare/medicaid. Everything. Government is the worst possible way to accomplish anything.

Contrary to Ordinary's avatar

Government is the only entity in the universe that, when it fails, it gets bigger.

Bryan donahue's avatar

Right? Because they just didn’t have the resources to do it right the first time! They just didn’t have consequences….

Sea Sentry's avatar

80% of Europe uses private airport security screening. So do Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and several countries in Latin America, including Mexico.

If privatizing airport functions makes you nervous, think about how poorly the government does everything, and at a much higher cost.

Larry Bone's avatar

TSA definitely needs to get paid. And we should model the toggle over to privatization on Israel's!

RealKingofMilbrook's avatar

Way past due. Let’s get the Gov out of the travel industry.

Bradley Hooper's avatar

As long as Muslims are not permitted to buy an airport. Did you see Raymond Ibrahims video about “Islamic Tawriya”?

Tom's avatar

Among GWB’s horrible decisions: TSA, DHS, ODNI!

aus's avatar

Every traveler tips TSA five bucks at security. Tips not taxable.

Pay TSA! Make TSA smile again.

Jewish American Patriot's avatar

I asked Grok how many terrorists TSAcaught sincerity inception. Answer:Zero. Weapons?

EvanP's avatar

This is a no-brainer.

craig castanet's avatar

Not much of an argument here but restates his assertion repeatedly

Eitan Blumin's avatar

This is neocon bullcrap that never worked out well in the past. No form of federal security or law enforcement should ever be privatized. Ever. Not unless you want even more corruption and even more rich vermin who make money off of people's suffering.

You want to talk about the government shutdown? Let's talk about the actual culprits who prevent the distribution of funds to the TSA: The Republicans who denied the Democrat's bill to fund critical government bodies, the TSA included.

Their only problem was approving funding for the horribly corrupt and compromised ICE. You know, Trump's private army murdering American citizens on the streets for no justifiable reason?

That's the only thing the Democrats are blocking. But the Republicans are grouping all the funding together and then blaming the Democrats for hurting TSA. It's a LIE. Know who's lying to you and know why. The Republicans are holding the TSA hostage to get funding for ICE (even though ICE is already the #1 funded agency in the US).

That's what you should be taking about, instead of falling in the neocon trap of privatizing everything until our entire lives are completely under control of tyrant corporations.

Trey Dimsdale's avatar

The issues you raise with the current shutdown would be avoidable if airport security was insulated from politicization, which it is vulnerable to by either a GOP and Dem-controlled Congress.

Eitan Blumin's avatar

Oh really? Private corporations are insulated from politicization? Were you vacationing under a rock for the past decade or so?

Rfhirsch's avatar

In fact Chuck Schumer is a Democrat. He is totally responsible for the shutdowns.

How is ICE corrupt? They do an excellent job of finding people who are not in the country legally and thus must be deported. President Franklin Roosevelt would adore them, since he refused to allow even legal immigration!

Eitan Blumin's avatar

Fascinating how you ignored every point I made in my comment and focused on the least important and trivial matters.

Michelle Dostie's avatar

True nevertheless. Chuckie boy’s second shutdown this year…for Shame.

Eitan Blumin's avatar

Such a superficial way to look at it. How about you ask the question of WHY? And look into it for a change instead of making it up.

Michelle Dostie's avatar

It was another person’s comment. I agreed. Not important enough to talk about. Except to get the DHS BACK TO PAID WORK.

Eitan Blumin's avatar

THE DEMOCRATS TRIED TO PASS BILLS TO FUND THE TSA AND OTHER DHS FUNCTIONS AND THE REPUBLICANS BLOCKED IT!

https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/minority/in-24-hours-senate-republicans-block-five-separate-bills-to-fund-tsa-fema-cisa-coast-guard-and-other-dhs-functions

Know who to blame. Because it's NOT "Chuckie boy".

Michelle Dostie's avatar

Their function is written into US. CODE since the 30’s I believe.

Elizabeth Rome's avatar

Mindless emotional parroting ---poor baby with not ability base comments on facts.