? Freedom's just another word…/…fer takin' off yer shoes ?

Last June, the TSA changed the name of its main hub in Herndon, Virginia to the "Freedom Center."

The new name was apparently chosen from an agency-wide competition.

Which means that in addition to being creepily and predictably Orwellian, the government agency in charge of preventing another terrorist attack in our country's transportation system also suffers from a disturbing lack of creativity.

Comments

[Head of President Nixon]

My fellow Earthicans, we enjoy so much freedom it's almost sickening. We're free to choose which hand our sex-monitoring chip is implanted in. And if we don't want to pay our taxes, why, we're free to spend a weekend with the Pain Monster.

[Hugh Akston]

Wow.

You know what? Fuck the economy. If anything is going to collapse this nation, it will be the staggering weight of the irony this government produces.

[miche]

This makes me miss Freedom Fries.

[It could be worse]

It could have been the "Kip Hawley Freedom Center".

[ktc2]

Futurama FTW!

Damn, I love that show!

[Sam Grove]

It must have been opposite day, just like when they renamed the War department.

[JLE]

"Freedom" is going to be one of those words abused so horribly, ironically even, it loses its meaning to future generations. Too bad, it was once an effective noun.

[Kaganspawn]

"creepily and predictably Orwellian"

Creepy is a word you hear most often in the mouths of tasty 20-something females, referring to 40+ or unappealing younger males. The latter lust after the former, the former dub the latter creepy. Of course the creeps are merely obeying the biological imperative. They lust -- that is what men do. Likewise, the G's security arm arrogates as much power to itself as possible, and pretends it acts in the interest of the people. That is what police do. Really how can we blame the bear for taking that s**t in the woods?

[Hrm.]

"Really how can we blame the bear for taking that s**t in the woods?"

We can accept that bears shit in the woods without thanking the bears for doing it.

[jtuf]

I think they picked practicality over creativity. Now, when someone complains about having to take off his shoes, the TSA guard can tell him they have an entire center dedicated to freedom.

[anarch]

We can accept that bears shit in the woods without thanking the bears for doing it.

This year we can. Just wait.

[confiscated nailclipper resell]

The full name is actually "(They Hate Us For Our) Freedom Center".

[Abdul]

I like the new name.

The original name, "You can't board the plane with a four ounce bottle of shampoo center" was a bit unweildly.

[Average Guy]

the government agency in charge of preventing another terrorist attack in our country's transportation system

It's impossible to prove a negative, but how many terrorist attacks have there been in our country's transportation system since the TSA's inception?

A) 16
B) 4.5
C) 0
D) None of the above
E) I refuse to answer because this is a Bushitler trick

[Cumlately]

TSA = Terrorist Screener Administration
Orwellian, indeed ...

[hekk]

My favorite is Mitchell Int'l in Milwaukee. Once you clear TSA security, there are some benches with a big sign above them;

"Recombobulation Area"

I get a kick out of it every time.

[Cumlately]

hekk...
you're kidding me! Serious? Proof, please...

[jtuf]

Average Guy | September 19, 2008, 7:21am | #

the government agency in charge of preventing another terrorist attack in our country's transportation system

It's impossible to prove a negative, but how many terrorist attacks have there been in our country's transportation system since the TSA's inception?

A) 16
B) 4.5
C) 0
D) None of the above
E) I refuse to answer because this is a Bushitler trick

Granted the skys have been safer the past several years. However, it is possible to freedom and security.

We have "Know Your Costumer" banking laws to sap terrorist funding. Let's get drug legalization to eliminate the underground drug market that funds terrorists?

We increased border security to keep terrorists out. Let's triple immigration quotas to dry up the underground migration routes that terrorists might hide in?

On 9/11, the only hijacked plane that didn't reach its target was brought down by ordinary citizens. They acted because they learned via cellphone that the hijacked plane would be aimed at a building. Cellphones were key to reducing al-Q's success rate by 25%, yet there was a push to ban them on airplanes. The best defense for America rests in the population as a whole, that includeds civilians and uniformed officers.

[tarran]

The best defense for America rests in the population as a whole, that includeds civilians and uniformed officers.

You forget that government officials are more interested in preserving their monopoly on violence rather than actually making the country safer.

From their actions I conclude that they'd rather let a plane-load of citizens be killed than risk the bad press of having someone else stop it without their help.

[bill]

Recombobulation Area

[J sub D]

Sadly, my suggestion was completely ignored.

The proposed sign.

[Dagny T.]

Granted the skys have been safer the past several years.

"I'm Leonard Nimoy, goodnight, and keep watching the skis. I mean, skies."

[LarryA]

I think it's a wonderful name. That's where they lock up all the freedoms we used to have.

[Salvius]

I'm gonna cut the soles off my shoes, sit in a tree, and learn to play the flute.

[Brandybuck]

The opposite of irony is papery.

[TrickyVic]

Anyone remeber that Sept 11 was Patriot Day?

[KaiB]

Either someone in the agency read 1984 and thought it would be funny to suggest something doublespeak or sadly, Big Brother has already got to them.