If you can imagine it there is someone out there that will make it into a fetish.

Via email:

Of course this is fake. The real TSA scanner don’t show your bones. They show your skin.

There are many obvious parallels which could be draw between the TSA and Berlin Wall. The restrictions on travel, freedom, and of course the infamous “Papers!” line from movies about Nazi Germany.

But I want to point out a less obvious parallel—the way the Berlin Wall fell.

On November 9, 1989 there was a misunderstanding between the politburo and their spokesman about a change in travel policy. This was amplified by the media getting the message even more messed up (don’t they always?). The media ended up saying, “The borders are open to everyone” instead of some East Berliners will be allowed to cross if they have proper permission (presumably if they were politically connected and had close relatives to stay behind as hostages).

Crowds of people gathered at the wall and demanded the border guards immediately open the gates. The guards were overwhelmed (no injuries as far as I know) and let people through with little or no checking of papers.

The same thing could happen with the TSA. The only reason they have power over us is because we give them that power. We could ignore their demands for our papers, push their scanning machines aside, and walk straight to our gates and board our planes. If 10s of thousands did it all on the same day the game would be over in a matter of hours.

The guards at the Berlin Wall had machine guns. The TSA just have their uniforms and our timidity.

Via Say Uncle and Alan I found this:

The memo, which actually takes the form of an administrative directive, appears to be the product of undated but recent high level meetings between Napolitano, John Pistole, head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA),and one or more of Obama’s national security advisors. This document officially addresses those who are opposed to, or engaged in the disruption of the implementation of the enhanced airport screening procedures as “domestic extremists.”

The introductory paragraph of the multi-page document states that it is issued “in response to the growing public backlash against enhanced TSA security screening procedures and the agents conducting the screening process.” Implicit within the same section is that the recently enhanced security screening procedures implemented at U.S. airports, and the measures to be taken in response to the negative public backlash as detailed [in this directive], have the full support of the President. In other words, Obama not only endorses the enhanced security screening, but the measures outlined in this directive to be taken in response to public objections.

The terminology contained within the reported memo is indeed troubling. It labels any person who “interferes” with TSA airport security screening procedure protocol and operations by actively objecting to the established screening process, “including but not limited to the anticipated national opt-out day” as a “domestic extremist.” The label is then broadened to include “any person, group or alternative media source” that actively objects to, causes others to object to, supports and/or elicits support for anyone who engages in such travel disruptions at U.S. airports in response to the enhanced security procedures.

For individuals who engaged in such activity at screening points, it instructs TSA operations to obtain the identities of those individuals and other applicable information and submit the same electronically to the Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division, the Extremism and Radicalization branch of the Office of Intelligence & Analysis (IA) division of the Department of Homeland Security.

The way I read this is that people exercising their specific enumerated right of free speech will be reported to the Department of Homeland Security. Doesn’t that constitute a “chilling effect”? Can the entire chain of thugs all the way up to Obama be charged with violation of 18 USC 241  and/or 18 USC 242?