Fight Against Terrorism - We've Given Up Too Much

Many Americans are congratulating themselves - perhaps deservedly so - on the fact that there hasn't been a major terrorist attack in the United States after 9/11. That is undoubtedly true, but reflect on the price they - and many of the world's nations - have paid to keep themselves safe. Personal freedoms have been steadily whittled away in the name of homeland security. Trusting one's fellow passengers on a flight has become a chimera. Getting there used to be half the fun. Now the fun has been replaced by suspicion, sometimes bordering on paranoia.

This is particularly true of air travel. Every time an inventive terrorist comes up with a new means of inflicting pain and causing mayhem, greater restrictions are placed on flyers. Curbside check-in was the first to go; and so did the convenience of arriving at the airport a few minutes before take off. Some nut job built a bomb in his shoe, so now we all have to pass shoeless - and belt less and jacket less - through security. The bad guys found a way to mix explosives in liquids; so we can't carry on any, except miniscule bottles. Discretion and common sense have gone out the window. Two years ago at LAX, I suffered the mortification of having a brand new bottle of Napoleon cognac confiscated from my hand luggage, because I was considered potentially ingenious enough to sneak liquid explosives into a factory-sealed bottle.

The latest incident, where a Nigerian gentleman, Umar Faruk Abdulmutallab, set his legs on fire in a plane, has resulted in predictable overkill. Be prepared to be patted down at airports - and that's just the beginning. No access to your stowed hand luggage one hour after take off and before landing. The aircraft's GPS is likely to be switched off; so that you are left wondering where you are and how many more hours you have to endure in cattle class. Blankets and pillows will be whisked away one hour before landing; and woe betide you if you attempt to get up from your seat. So what happens if you just have to use the toilet? Tough luck, buddy. Maybe adult diapers will become the next must-have travel accessory.

Is this winning? Sure, we have to make some sacrifices to stay safe, but for how long and to what extent? It is the terrorists who are calling the shots; not us. We are spending more and more time at the airport, so much so that it in some cases, it exceeds the actual flight duration. Are knee-jerk reactions to every potential security threat the solution? It's like we are puppets dancing on the strings being pulled by the evil ones. The bad guys always seem to be one step ahead of us. Besides, overdoing the precaution angle may have its own pitfalls. No matter how well trained the people manning the security gates at airports are, they are normal human beings. When they have to look at thousands of similar items on a small screen every day, a sense of fatigue and boredom is inevitable; and there are increased chances of something nasty slipping by.

I know what you're thinking. It's easy to criticize, but what's the alternative? Honestly, I don't know. Maybe the security people should rely more on intelligence reports and less on blanket procedures. Sure, it means increased risk, but there's a risk every time you take you car out on the road, for example. Maybe we should accept it as one of the new realities of life in the new millennium. Although an explosion or a shooting spree undoubtedly has a bigger impact, a secondary aim of terrorists is to disrupt the lives of ordinary citizens. And they seem to be doing just fine at this.