Posted on 09/19/2001 6:02:27 PM PDT by Pokey78
The Muslims left their calling card (and an invitation for you to join them, if you wish) on the 90th floor of the WTC - when they came in through the window....
May God have mercy, because we shall not....
P.S. She could walk aver me, anytime she'd like
100 major airports
Average 20 full-time security positions, 2 shifts per day
Average $15 bucks per hour (with benefits, etc.)
That's 100x20x2 x 8(hours)x $15 x 365 (days/yr) = $175,200,000 per year spent just on security personnel. (very conservatively - I'd say it is double that)
We've still got costs for all the equipment to consider. That should round it up to about $200,000,000 per year (still very, very conservative). That's $2 billion in the last ten years. And my nine year old (who's flown a few time) came up with three ways to get something past airport security.
Now let's talk wasted time. Now let's assume average 5 minutes of time per passenger per trip. I'm taking into account time answering silly questions at the counter, waiting in line, passing through multiple times for a bobby pin, waiting to turn on and shut down computers, etc. etc.
There are about 2 billion passenger screenings per year, according to the Heritage Foundation (It's actually a bit over 1.9 billion for 1998, but we're rounding here for approximations, including growth since then). So we've got 10 billion minutes of time spent on this near-pointless activity. Assuming average productivity lost by an air traveller is $30 per hour (very conservative, I think). 10,000,000,000 minutes translates to a nice round five billion dollars a year in lost productivity.
So we've spent perhaps 50-60 billion in the last ten years for a system that offers only cosmetic help. It's an absolute joke. Tripling that amount and putting even more police state measures in place will offer at best marginal improvement. Most of the new measures being announced this week would have had zero effect on last weeks incidents, as Ann points out.
Can't we at least invest that money in something that has a fighting chance of working? The answer is never to try to block all weapons. Not possible. The answer is to make any weapons that do make it onto the plane ineffective in allowing the hijackers to get their way. Such measures could be fairly expensive, but much would be a one-time expenditure.
I didn't write that statement. Perhaps your post was meant for another person.
I am for seeking justice and protecting the innocent, however to scream broadly "nuke em all" is hysterical in my opinion. If we do that, we are no better than the people fanatics who attacked us.
Here is a good link to check out:
May God have mercy, because we shall not....
Who exactly is "they?" All Islamic countries? Or just the leaders of Islamic countries?
I am with you that we need to seek justice, but first we need to define who we are going to destroy.
We should require passports to fly domestically. Passports can be forged, but they can also be checked with the home country in case of any suspicious-looking swarthy males. It will be a minor hassle, but it's better than national ID card.
I support the passport idea. I don't know what the gripe is.
We already show a driver's license, which is different for each state. A passport is a common document issued by a long-standing federal agency that cannot start messing with them for political purposes or the rest of the world will stop honoring them.
And besides, if air travel has the risk of the plane being taken to another country, it might not be a bad idea to carry your passport.
-PJ
They are the ones who give aid and comfort to terrorists
Those who do not, or better yet turn their terrorists over, are our freinds.
Shhhh! That kind of thinking is as welcome on FR as saying 'Maybe partial birth abortions should be outlawed' at a Planned Parenthood meeting.
It's a Freeper thing. If we're required to carry another piece of paper with our picture on it our world will end or Janet Reno will be burn down our houses ... or something.
(You and Ms. Coulter are right, of course.)
Well if that is who the enemy is, who will we nuke? Do you really think the average Afghanee is responsible for the aid and comfort of these terrorists? They have nothing to aid and comfort them with. Certainly the Taliban is complicit and should be punished, but why not just arm [and feed] the people who live in afghanistan who oppose these thugs? Let them take care of the problem without killing innocent civilians.
If you have time, please read the link in post 50. Regards.
We could use her as a threat to wipe out all the innocent Aghanis, tho. They may change their mind and hand over bin Laden, if they knew what she can do.
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