Security-by-credential or security-by-inspection

[Eric Murray]

On Fri, Nov 09, 2001 at 01:12:59PM -0800, Greg Broiles wrote:

[a lot of well-written stuff on ID cards etc. deleted.
If you didn't read it, go back and dig it up]

 
> (Accordingly, some measures do nothing to reduce the actual risk but make 
> people feel better because of their superstitious beliefs about the power 
> of guns or databases or the application of arbitrary screening and sorting 
> rules. The placebo effect created by these measures isn't unimportant - but 
> let's create it by more traditional and less risky means, like prayer and 
> faith in supreme beings and/or ritual pledges of allegiance or other 
> ceremonies, instead of wasting lots of time and money creating unstable 
> oppression systems ripe for misuse or takeover.)


ID cards are another feel-good measure, nothing more.  As you correctly
point out, they won't add any real security against terrorism unless
taken to very impractical lengths.  But the people think they will help,
just like the poorly-trained national guard troops in airports.


Worse, the people have been sold the ideas that increased
security means giving up freedoms and therefore anything
that reduces freedom must be increasing security.



Eric