Are body scanners duct tape?

Who is going to get rich of those things? There are so many ways to avoid detection with them that they are no better than current systems, but they have momentum, so there must be a back-story, what is it?

fairly easily.

probably on the BBC, but maybe NPR about ways to defeat it simply. Hiding the bomb-making materials in body cavities was one example. Apparently, it can also be camouflaged easily.

That's why little old ladies must take off their shoes. It's tactically required. Maybe we would have better luck if we all of the sudden announced that all our wars would end if Al Qaeda agreed to stop attacking us? Until then we need to believe in the Republican plan of peace through war.

It seems an indication to me that al Qaida has run out of steam if they are so fixated on actually trying to blow-up a plane by using articles of clothing as the delivery device.

It is more likely that al Qaida uses that this particular tactic as a way to just yank our chain every now and then, causing the government and Republicans to go into an hysterical, fearmongering tizzy. In other words, every time one of these attempts is made they win because it effectively 'terrorizes' the whole flying public, industry and regulators.

So, the full body scanners are 'duct tape' because they are supposed to protect us from something that probably can't be done. It also seems to me that if a bomb is ever smuggled on a plane these days it will be inside a laptop or cell phone battery or something like that, so the "puffer" or chemical detectors would ultimately make more sense.

they are getting all the attention when more efficient technology is out there?

Al Qaida keeps doing this because what do they lose? 'Shoe bomber' Reid, now this fellow, and the liquid plotters in England ... not much expenditure for a whole lot of 'terror' accomplished in the U.S. and Europe.

And, since 'Homeland Security' in now a multi-hundred-billion-dollar a year industry in this country and around the world, these attempted bombings keep the gravy train running for the defense and security corporations.

Sorry to sound cynical, but frankly, I think that accounts for most of all this 'terror' talk these days.

In my opinion, al Qaida (and the wannabes) are simply religiously motivated, murderous criminals. They ought to be hunted down and rounded up like any organized crime group.

It's something that is actually useful.

lol