Yesterday, a Nigerian performed an epic fail that has been called an Attempt At Terrorism. No, sensationalizing pundits, it was an attempted mass murder. Or was it? If you’re a suicide bomber, why wait til you’re in the U.S. (all the way from economically poor Nigeria, via Amsterdam) to set the stuff off? Wouldn’t it have been more likely to cause the loss at 30,000 feet — especially since it was described as more apt to cause flames than an explosion? Or maybe the guy was just another dull-tool Nigerian trying to build himself a place of importance in the world?
Regardless, this is sure to mount another wave of ineffective and pointless procedures from the equally ineffective and pointless TSA. When Richard the Shoe Bomber did his schtick, he got life, and we all got to take our shoes off for the rest of OUR lives. When gel was used in Europe, we all got to have our toiletries confiscated… or the great joy of buying new toothpaste in every town. These make perfect sense. After all, the only ways to blow up a plane are gels and shoes, right? Besides, its working. There hasn’t been another “Terrorist” attack since the World Trade Center, so we must be on the right path, right? Or not. Consider that we hadn’t had one before either. Regardless, if a shoe bomb ends up with us all taking our shoes off, and gel ends up with us all having our toiletries limited or confiscated, it’s a sure bet that this is going to have similar fall-out. Since he had the powder taped to his leg, I’m guessing we’ll all have to take our pants off now. Aren’t you glad he didn’t hide the stuff up his rectum?
For all intents and purposes, the only Terrorism going on these days is performed by us — on other nations and upon ourselves. We’re all sick of it, so when are we going to take a stand, declare ourselves patriots and freedom fighters, and demand that these inane antics and stupid human tricks stop? All of those shoe checks? For nothing. All of that confiscated hair gel? Like urinating in grey flannel pants, it may have given us a warm feeling, but Al Queda apparently failed to notice. You can be they see us terrorizing ourselves, though.
Enough is enough, and this is way past that state. Europe isn’t inundated by bombings, even though they don’t employ such tactics on trains, etc. Then again, they’re also not invading Afghanistan. Perhaps its time we dispensed of the pointless “Simon Says” exercises and started trying some bonhomie instead. A bit of good will would likely go a lot farther than these after-the-fact acts of terrorism we perpetuate upon ourselves. Speak out. Tell them you’re fed up of being forced to act like we’re living in fear. Tell them you’re sick and tired of us giving them reason to mess with us, sick of us terrorizing ourselves, and that it’s time for the Wag The Dog tactics to stop. Please, do it now. The next one may very well use something “private” to conceal the goods, and then this nonsense will really get out of hand!
