Thursday, January 7, 2010

QUESTION: Who Does Not Know What to Do With A Fighter Jet? ANSWER: The US Government Run By A Certified Intellectual



There is a puzzling story on Drudge this morning. It is a story from OregonLive.com about a man who was misbehaving on a flight from Oregon to Hawaii. They say, “The plane's captain decided to turn the plane around after the man "made threatening remarks and refused to store his carry-on bag," said Dwayne Baird, a Transportation Security Administration spokesman” No word as to why a man would be allowed onto the flight with carry-on luggage when carry-ons are no longer allowed.
The fascinating part is that, “Two F-15 fighter jets, based at Portland International Airport, were asked to accompany the flight back to Portland, said Capt. Stephen Bomar, an Oregon Military Department spokesman.” I am left wondering if TSA and the Oregon Military Department understand that the guys in the fighter jets really cannot get onto the airliner while they are both in the air. Do they understand that any attempt at an intervention from one of the jets to the airline passenger would inevitably cause the fiery destruction of the air liner and/or the jet? A year ago I would not have said anything about this. I would have just assumed that everyone involved understood the limits of the situation and maybe even realized how silly that whole response looked.
Some strange things have come to pass in the intervening year. Army intelligence knew one of their psychiatrists enjoyed talking about the horrible death he wanted to visit upon Muslim heretics when he should have been conducting Army business. And this same crazy shrink was know by Army Intelligence to be in frequent communication with a noted jihad recruiter. And nothing was done. It would have been a more effective use of fighter jets to have then follow this security threat. But the Army’s response was to put all the info in a file and act like this is normal. Figuring the authorities knew what they were doing there cost more than a dozen lives and made me a bit less trusting.
Then there was this foolishness on Christmas. Joe the truck driver knows that a one way ticket paid for in cash by a guy without any luggage is three warning signs. But whoever is responsible for keeping air liners safe are in the same ‘gee, this is business as usual’ mode as the incompetent Military Intelligence. (I have seen no news reports that indicate that anyone in Military Intelligence had to pay any price for the mortal stupidity and incompetence they displayed.)
Taking everything into account leads me to feel certain that there is no way of knowing what TSA or a military department might understand about any situation. Or if these clowns understand anything at all. Maybe they just like to look at fighter jets flying near air liners.
But I have to wonder how the election of a certified intellectual can banish intelligence and common sense from the government.
I have seen many criticisms that politics is being played with national security. But when the government has become this foolish and incompetent criticism and close examination is merely self-defense on the part of citizens who are at the mercy of bureaucrats who do not care and a system that will not hold them responsible for anything.

1 comment:

Joe said...

I know a couple of TSA agents, and I wouldn't trust my pet alligator to either of them.

The go to work, are totally bored with their jobs, constantly make fun of their work, couldn't care less about instructions from their superiors, are so out of shape they couldn't chase a perpetrator the length of the concourse, come home after their shift, get drunk, go to bed and repeat the process the next day.

They sure make me feel safe...yes they do.

As to those fighters, well, they have to do something with their day and flying next to an airliner provides some break in their routine.

And yes, the current government has no idea what to do with a fighter jet.