Nice diversion

The latest "terror plot" is a certainly a nice diversion from recent unsavory happenings around the world. We're not talking about Israel and Lebanon any more; we're not talking about Iraq any more. No, we're talking about shampoo and toothpaste and how inconvenient it has become to fly.

People are saying really stupid things like "They're just trying to make us safer." and "Whatever it takes to be safe." and "Better safe than sorry."

What's really sad about all of this is that nobody in the UK or US governments is actually trying to make anybody safer. This latest "foiled plot" is just a diversion to stop us from thinking about anything important. It seems that I may not be alone in espousing this theory. If that's too fringe for you, then perhaps this AFP article might be of interest. It makes it pretty clear that this will be a boon to BushRoveCheneyCo. And this AP article provides more information, but I'm interested in this almost throwaway paragraph:

Although plots to blow up airliners using liquid explosives are not new — such an attempt was foiled more than a decade ago — the U.S. government has been slow to upgrade its security equipment at airport checkpoints to detect explosives on passengers.

If the US government really cared about our safety, how come in more than a decade they haven't been a little more proactive in the explosive detection arena? The answer is: The people in power really do not care about our safety and they never have. Actual safety doesn't get people elected. If we were actually safe, nobody would have to pretend to make us safer, and thus, they'd have to get elected by addressing real problems and issues. This is just the latest chapter in the long history of right-wing fearmongering.

The saddest thing is that it works.

Fuck this noise. I'd rather be free than safe. I can see to my own safety, thank you very much.