Gawker -Revolt of the Elites: Junk-Touching Edition

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"More Americans think 9/11 was an inside job than oppose naked X-ray screenings at airports. But the ones who oppose the X-rays happen to have access to your televisions and computers, so America is freaking out about the TSA.

The poll data is about as stark as it gets: 81% of respondents to a CBS News poll say they support full-body X-rays at airports, while 15% were opposed. (The number who think planted explosives brought down the Twin Towers: 16%). There aren't many U.S. policies that receive such widespread support, and that poll was taken just a week and a half ago. Back in January, a Gallup poll found that 78% of frequent travelers support scans that display "a graphic image of a person's body underneath his or her clothes."

In other words, America is overwhelmingly, categorically, and incontrovertibly unconcerned about naked x-rays. So why are we all freaking out about naked x-rays? Politico's Ben Smith sums it up:

There's no doubt about who won on this issue: Matt Drudge chose it and drove it, illustrating both his continued power and his great sense of the public mood, and it now seems a matter of time until he gets results.

Smith is right that the TSA freakout is a classic example of the Drudge-driven bullshit story. But it goes beyond that. Drudge's obsession with the scanners—and the junk-touching that, it needs to be repeated, only comes into play for folks who refuse to go through the scanners—fits in with his general paranoid worldview. But it also fits in with the fact that he flies all the time. He told the London Times that he spends 30% of his time traveling, and does things like fly to London on a whim for dinner. Most of the producers, reporters, writers, and other assorted hacks who followed Drudge's instructions to concoct a populist revolt against the scanners also fly all the time. They're among the 16% who oppose them because they don't want, personally, to have to go through them."

http://gawker.com/5696496/revolt-of-the-elites-junk+touching-edition

[LisaL]

1. They keep touting that CBS poll as an evidence of

overwhelming support. Maybe they should wait a bit after people actually get a chance to experience new enhanced airport security before blubbering how everyone supports it.

[emulatorloo]

3. It is my understanding that you have to set off the metal detectors several times before being sent

to the body scanner. Am I wrong?

As to random "patdowns" they have been doing those for a while now. Creepy to go through but nothing new.

[LisaL]

5. Yes you are wrong.

You can also be randomly chosen.
The pat downs are new in that they have been enhanced and now allow TSA worker to pat down crotches.

[MedicalAdmin]

4. The polls call folks with LAND LINES.

In other words folks who mostly don't travel much, still remember flying TWA when it was an all prop fleet, and tend to vote authoritarian.

So yah, among those asshats, of COURSE they support it overwhelmingly. That demographic can't give up their rights fast enough. They won't be happy until "Adolph" is president.

[Fleshdancer]

6. you took the words out of my mouth

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20022876-503544.html

The link above is the poll results. Can anyone point to the part where Americans were asked if they approved of genital groping? Or how about the part where, if you refuse, you can't simply walk out of the airport without being detained and slapped with an $11K fine first?

1,137 adults nationwide were asked two questions:

1. Should airports use full body X-ray machines?
2. Is ethnic profiling at airports justified?

[damntexdem]

7. I don't care who supports this crap:

it's crap, I don't support it, and it makes me even-more reluctant to fly. So Hoaxland Security's little pet agency finally went so far that it angered rich people. I hope they do get their irradiating, junk-touching hands slapped. More likely, though, they WILL come up with a program whereby white rich folks sail through without being screened.

[emulatorloo]

2. Some DU'er pointed out recently that the TSA was unionized over Republican objections

And that maybe this plays into why Drudge etc are pushing this.

[catgirl]

8. Interesting info.