The perspective is that the pat-down is totally obsolete anyway, since terrorists have already proven they will hide explosives inside their vagina (Chechnya) or their anal cavity (Saudi Arabia). Neither the stripper-scans or the full-frontal-Federal-fondle will discover those.
Furthermore, unles we start fondling all the cargo that comes into this country, these measures will stop no one who really wants to take down a plane. At this point, only a fraction gets scanned, and it took a Yemeni informant to stop the attacks two weeks ago.
What if TSA tried these tactics at a place where they legally be intrusive to stop the flow of contraband ...
Like a federal prison?
As soon as they prove that they can stop contraband flowing into federal prisons, and the “assist” state and local prisons in scanning techniques, then they could propose to open it up to citizens who value quick travel.
Nuts.
It is illogical as well. The scanners don’t detect explosive powder. So if the passenger rejects the scanner, he THEN moves to the pat-down, which doesn’t detect the powder if it is sufficiently secreted—although it is supposed to.
The underwear bomber has apparently destroyed our powers of thought. Or it is all a facade. Theater. Or it has the more nefarious purpose of breaking down our spirit, as when an evil interrogator makes the person remove his clothes.