And the police state continues to advance apace.

[MadHound]

Well, it looks like the national opt-out was a bust, for reasons ranging from turned off machines to publicity conscious TSA staff to national apathy. Whatever the reason, the media's attention is going elsewhere quickly, people who object are being demonized and trivialized, and pretty soon, the ol' scan and grope is going to be part of everyday, "normal" life in these United States.

In fact calls are already going out to put these procedures in place for trains, buses and virtually any other form of public conveyance. Soon, we'll start seeing these monstrosities pop up at malls, courthouses, stadiums, schools and throughout the fabric of our everyday public life.

This is following the same pattern that other trips down the slippery slope of privacy have followed. When piss testing first came into being, there was a big brouhaha about it, the invasiveness of such testing, the media glare came into play, promises of moderation were made, and people simply got used to it. Once a tool to prevent drug addled people from operating heavy machinery and other "mission critical" jobs, drug testing has now become ubiquitous, hell, now you've got to piss to get a job at Wal Mart or McD's.

Our society has become numb to the loss of our right to privacy, discarded it like yesterday's news. An entire generation now is conditioned to accept the loss of privacy, never knowing what their parents never valued.

Sure, it's just a piss test, sure, just a quick grab and grope, but the loss of our privacy is symptomatic of something worse, the accompanying rise of authoritarian government. Our government now not only claims the right to grope you, test you, and have some of your pee, but it has also abrogated for itself the right to unilaterally declare you an enemy combatant, jail your for an unspecified period of time and, if it deems necessary, to kill you.

We have become a police state, and though there are details that need to be taken care of, loose ends to wrap up, the fact of the matter is that you have few meaningful rights in this country. And it is only going to get worse from here. As time goes on, and another generation accepts even less privacy, even more seizures of our civil liberties, the clamps are going to come down. When will you wake up? When will your take a stand. The loss of your privacy of your person? How about privacy in your car? In your home? When you can no longer speak freely?

This is the slope we're going down people, and the end of this one isn't pretty. Sure, a few extra gropes seem like nothing, but if you don't fight back now, in a decade, or two, you won't be able to fight back at all.

Will that be when you wake up?

[kayakjohnny]

1. You are right.

[pscot]

2. Very interesting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IHAZeqwQvA&feature=related

[MadHound]

3. kick n/t

[leftstreet]

4. On the plus side, al Qaeda will no longer hate us for our freedoms!

:9

[neverforget]

5. We weren't using them anyway

[Desertrose]

6. K&R

[krabigirl]

7. You are right.

[sabrina 1]

8. It seems that way, but don't give up. The Corporate media

is working for its Corporate bosses, trying to make light of the issue. I watched with amusement today a segment on CNN and it was so transparent now that I am so much more aware, it made me laugh. But when they go to that much trouble to try to crush an issue, you know they are worried.

This battle has been fought for six years. I am so thoroughly disgusted that where Bush failed to get these machines into our lives, Obama's administration succeeded.

Those who successfully fought to keep them out, are not giving up. The ACLU and other Civil Rights organizations are still working on the issue.

The opt out should not have been scheduled for today as people did not have time to even hear about it.

What we need is a petition, similar to the one done for Keith Olbermann, sent to the airlines threatening to have 'no-fly' days until this madness goes away.

I am seeing a picture emerging where an issue that was so important to Democrats when Bush was doing it, is now not so important to them anymore. This is what worries me. The very same hypocrisy we saw on the right I am now seeing on the left. But only if we let it happen.

Maybe we will have to depend on teabaggers to fight for our rights since Democrats have dropped the ball now that our President has friends in the Virtual Rape Machine business so he supports the tactics.

Otoh, we did have a few victories this week. The TSA did back down twice. So we know it can be done. Protecing civil rights is not easy especially when so much money is involved.

But it has been a real revelation to see Democrats remain silent now because our team are the ones selling us out.

I just read that two states' Legislatures, NJ is one, are planning a bi-partisan bill to ban these scanners in their states. Maybe this is the way to go, state by state.

I think the battle has just begun ...

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. The battle has just begun

that said I had a far scarier thought on the way back from fighting for pie...

Nah this is not a police state. They are not that organized...

What this is. well corruption at the highest levels... tea pot dome impressive.

We have placed people in charge of agencies that they are hardly qualified to lead. It don't matter whether it is Chertoff, or Napolitano... they are not qualified.

Neither has a security background, which is on purpose, nor a PR nose... yet they did turn the machines off today to try to regain control of the story.

This is actually scarier than the police state. If I, assume for a moment I am one, security lobbyist, can convince them that pink tutus will work they will jump on them.

Now this is scarier than the police state. This is key stone cops... which also explains why a certain things like oh perimeters, have not been like secured and that is like so damn fucking basic it is not even funny.

And lord knows I have been in a few shootouts, and fires, and in front of enough C-4 to vaporize me... and this scares me even more.

This is corruption and it stinks... as well as keystone cop moment... with security theater. Now I wonder, what would be a good catch phrase for the pink tutu? I mean I COULD sell these things to these idiots! And readying what is going on at airports, I AM PISSED, and I KNOW government is not that incompetent... alas it is.

[MadHound]

10. Corruption and a police state can exist hand in hand,

They often do. Nazi Germany was highly corrupt, as are many other authoritarian police states throughout history.

And it isn't the "leaders" out front you need to keep your eye on. They are there to divert attention, to catch the heat.

And a police state is never about security, it is about asserting authority over the populace.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Of course they can

And they have..just saying they're not that organized.

The end result is the same...nevertheless.

[woo me with science]

11. Kick. nt

[pecwae]

13. Kick.

[sarcasmo]

14. Courthouse next, then sporting events, then buses, then subways and on and on.

[glitch]

15. It won't take a decade or two, IMO.

These things flow pretty quickly once they've reached a tipping point.

[TheWatcher]

16. OBEY. SUBMIT. SHOP.

We've become a nation of thumb-sucking, cowardly, submissive, soft, apathetic, shallow, gadget worshiping, Propaganda drunk, convenience and comfort whores.

Home Of The Conquered, Land Of The Can't Be Bothered To Be Free.

Now, Let's Go Keep Up With The Kardashians!!!!!111111111

:crazy:

[G_j]

17. K&R

truth