No Fly List

The no-fly list isn't very accurate.

60 Minutes, in collaboration with the National Security News Service, has obtained the secret list used to screen airline passengers for terrorists and discovered it includes names of people not likely to cause terror, including the president of Bolivia, people who are dead and names so common, they are shared by thousands of innocent fliers.

Yawn. I'm guessing that its not really supposed to be a real tool. Its just a way for the agencies to show that they are doing something and for people to think that their politicians and government are doing something.

This is, in effect, no different than the stupid random searches at NY subways or giving haz-mat suits to a fire department in rural Alaska.

The government has no real incentive to provide effective security - they only have to provide the appearance of effective security. When the appearance of security appears to be more secure than actualy security you will end up with appearance every time.

Unless, of course, the breach of security has real costs for those supplying the security - which it does not.