Comments on: The end of carry on baggage http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sat, 26 May 2012 21:58:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: glenn http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168162 glenn Fri, 11 Aug 2006 10:58:08 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168162 And the Diet Coke and Mentos threat is neutralized as well. And the Diet Coke and Mentos threat is neutralized as well.

]]> By: glenn http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168161 glenn Fri, 11 Aug 2006 10:54:47 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168161 One thing I really don't understand - aside from ackowledging the sheer audacity of the plot - is why the terrorists (or hope-to-be terrorists) still stick to the same script? I mean, airports are among the most heavily policed places. Why not go to a mall? A train? A Theatre? It'd be alot easier, and presumably, even more, uh, terrorful (or is it just plain terrible?). One thing I really don’t understand – aside from ackowledging the sheer audacity of the plot – is why the terrorists (or hope-to-be terrorists) still stick to the same script? I mean, airports are among the most heavily policed places. Why not go to a mall? A train? A Theatre? It’d be alot easier, and presumably, even more, uh, terrorful (or is it just plain terrible?).

]]> By: Ray http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168154 Ray Fri, 11 Aug 2006 09:00:55 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168154 At the same time, there are many much easier ways of killing lots of people, and of costing lots of money, that just wouldn't be as spectacular. At the same time, there are many much easier ways of killing lots of people, and of costing lots of money, that just wouldn’t be as spectacular.

]]> By: engels http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168142 engels Fri, 11 Aug 2006 03:27:28 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168142 <i>If they have these near-undetectable explosives why not attack ... the Stock Market or Canary Wharf?</i> Although as a mere leftist I can't claim Sebastian's <a href="http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/walzer-on-lebanon/#comment-165265" rel="nofollow">military expertise</a>, I think he's right on this point: presumably one of the reasons terrorists blow up planes is that you only need a little bomb to bring down a plane, which wouldn't cause as much harm somewhere else. If they have these near-undetectable explosives why not attack … the Stock Market or Canary Wharf?

Although as a mere leftist I can’t claim Sebastian’s military expertise, I think he’s right on this point: presumably one of the reasons terrorists blow up planes is that you only need a little bomb to bring down a plane, which wouldn’t cause as much harm somewhere else.

]]> By: engels http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168136 engels Fri, 11 Aug 2006 00:45:21 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168136 #43 Maybe because some of those nuts are now quite unpalatable, having been chewed up and spat out by a chimp. #43 Maybe because some of those nuts are now quite unpalatable, having been chewed up and spat out by a chimp.

]]> By: Backword Dave http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168135 Backword Dave Fri, 11 Aug 2006 00:32:20 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168135 #22 'I’m actually encouraged that such terrorists seem to still be focusing on planes. It seems to me that there are lots of other places they could attack that would be just as deadly.' That's one reason that I'm suspicious of this story. Surely smart terrorists (may be an oxymoron, but in enough cases, not) would move targets round. If they have these near-undetectable explosives why not attack a prominent individual or the Stock Market or Canary Wharf? Isn't the point of terrorism (from the terrorists perspective) to blow something up without getting caught? Israel by its location must have a fair amount of air traffic. It's surrounded and infiltrated by terrorists and suicide bombers. To my knowledge none has succeeded in blowing up a plane. Does anyone know what they do? because it seems to work. OK there's a sort of answer to that <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2001/10/01/elal-usat.htm" rel="nofollow">here</a>. #22 ‘I’m actually encouraged that such terrorists seem to still be focusing on planes. It seems to me that there are lots of other places they could attack that would be just as deadly.’

That’s one reason that I’m suspicious of this story. Surely smart terrorists (may be an oxymoron, but in enough cases, not) would move targets round. If they have these near-undetectable explosives why not attack a prominent individual or the Stock Market or Canary Wharf? Isn’t the point of terrorism (from the terrorists perspective) to blow something up without getting caught?

Israel by its location must have a fair amount of air traffic. It’s surrounded and infiltrated by terrorists and suicide bombers. To my knowledge none has succeeded in blowing up a plane. Does anyone know what they do? because it seems to work.

OK there’s a sort of answer to that here.

]]> By: Backword Dave http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168132 Backword Dave Fri, 11 Aug 2006 00:18:13 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168132 #41. There isn't one on Parliament, though, when there should be. ;) #41. There isn’t one on Parliament, though, when there should be. ;)

]]> By: astrongmaybe http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168130 astrongmaybe Fri, 11 Aug 2006 00:14:54 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168130 Taking, for the moment, this plot at face value, it is very striking how reactive the various security agencies seem to be on terror techniques. Plotters come up with a shoe bomb, and so we all have to take off our shoes to be checked. They think of liquid explosives, and suddenly we can't carry liquids on board. Don't MI5, the CIA and the rest do anything to try to creatively imagine and head off possible threats before they actually occur? They would probably say "you don't know the things we do behind the scenes..." but what we see in public doesn't lend much confidence. All the imagination and R&D, so to speak, seems to happen on the terrorist side. Taking, for the moment, this plot at face value, it is very striking how reactive the various security agencies seem to be on terror techniques. Plotters come up with a shoe bomb, and so we all have to take off our shoes to be checked. They think of liquid explosives, and suddenly we can’t carry liquids on board. Don’t MI5, the CIA and the rest do anything to try to creatively imagine and head off possible threats before they actually occur? They would probably say “you don’t know the things we do behind the scenes…” but what we see in public doesn’t lend much confidence. All the imagination and R&D, so to speak, seems to happen on the terrorist side.

]]> By: engels http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168126 engels Thu, 10 Aug 2006 23:39:58 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168126 Or maybe not seriously at all, since the near ubiquity of these warnings makes them almost meaningless. Or maybe not seriously at all, since the near ubiquity of these warnings makes them almost meaningless.

]]> By: engels http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168125 engels Thu, 10 Aug 2006 23:38:58 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168125 <i>I imagine it’s not particularly concerned about the peanut threat</i> Somebody is taking it very seriously indeed, as everything I buy now carries the warning "may contain nuts". I imagine it’s not particularly concerned about the peanut threat

Somebody is taking it very seriously indeed, as everything I buy now carries the warning “may contain nuts”.

]]> By: nick s http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168123 nick s Thu, 10 Aug 2006 23:36:43 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168123 <i>their government does try – maybe not very efficiently, perhaps – to stop terrorists killing them, whereas I imagine it’s not particularly concerned about the peanut threat.</i> Try taking a peanut butter sandwich into an American school. The War On Peanuts has been waged for many years now. their government does try – maybe not very efficiently, perhaps – to stop terrorists killing them, whereas I imagine it’s not particularly concerned about the peanut threat.

Try taking a peanut butter sandwich into an American school. The War On Peanuts has been waged for many years now.

]]> By: Zarquon http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168120 Zarquon Thu, 10 Aug 2006 23:02:06 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168120 Look what happened to the president who was described as 'soft on peanuts'. Look what happened to the president who was described as ‘soft on peanuts’.

]]> By: harry b http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168118 harry b Thu, 10 Aug 2006 22:56:28 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168118 planeshift -- Jo Moore did lose her job in the end. And the memo took 6 weeks to surface. I promise that if there's bad news buried, it'll come out in the end. planeshift—Jo Moore did lose her job in the end. And the memo took 6 weeks to surface. I promise that if there’s bad news buried, it’ll come out in the end.

]]> By: Rob http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168110 Rob Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:59:10 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168110 I haven't read the Cato report, so for all I know it may have something to say about this, but it strikes me that one reason more Americans have been killed by peanuts and so on than by terrorism may well be that their government does try - maybe not very efficiently, perhaps - to stop terrorists killing them, whereas I imagine it's not particularly concerned about the peanut threat. I haven’t read the Cato report, so for all I know it may have something to say about this, but it strikes me that one reason more Americans have been killed by peanuts and so on than by terrorism may well be that their government does try – maybe not very efficiently, perhaps – to stop terrorists killing them, whereas I imagine it’s not particularly concerned about the peanut threat.

]]> By: Aaron Bogart http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/comment-page-1/#comment-168108 Aaron Bogart Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:34:55 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/08/10/the-end-of-carry-on-baggage/#comment-168108 What have we done? I am so confused; will I ever be able to read a book on a trans-atlantic flight again? Stop talking about this surrealistically and tell the children of whoever you know to tell their parents to stop voting for idiots. I'm an American, but I don't think I ever want to return tot he States. Help me. What have we done? I am so confused; will I ever be able to read a book on a trans-atlantic flight again? Stop talking about this surrealistically and tell the children of whoever you know to tell their parents to stop voting for idiots. I’m an American, but I don’t think I ever want to return tot he States. Help me.

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