Security Technology

There has been understandably much todo about airport security following an attempt to destroy a landing aircraft.  Of particular note is the conversation about whole body scans.  Today there was a spot on NPR radio discussing the matter.  That discussion set me to thinking, in which matter I offer the following observations.

First, the concerns for privacy seem to me rather odd on several grounds.  Does one have a right to privacy while traveling on a public conveyance?  Arguably no.  Indeed, we accept a variety of privacy related constraints when traveling including, rather anoyingly, taking our shoes and belts off and emptying our pockets.  So privacy while traveling is not an absolute right.  What then is the issue with whole body scans.  To me the conversation seems to be mostly about modesty, not privacy.  Here I would note that our sense of modesty is cultural and situiational.  For example a woman in langerie may be seen as immodest while the same woman in a two piece bathing suite at the beach that exposes her equally may not be seen as immodest.  So part of the issue here is our cultural/situational sensibility while flying.  To me that doesn't seem much like a matter of privacy in law or practice so much as a matter of adjusting situational expectations.  Common sense suggest that if one abandons body shame the mater vanishes.

Second, I would note that whole body scans which can detect many threats, can not detect all threats.  On a purely technical level they can not guarantee absolute security.  Much of the conversation today seemed to center on the efficacy of this or that technology.  This seems to me enormously wrong headed as it presumes that there is a magical technology bullet that can be used to insure that air travel is safe from attack.  Here I note that air travel, like any travel, is not perfectly safe from attack.  One need only posit a terrorist with a missle on the approach or departure path of an airport.  What security technology and, much more importantly procedures, can do is to impeed threats of this sort.  Common sense suggest that a rational approach to travel security is to employ such technology and procedures as are most effective.  In this regard enhanced screening for people traveling from certain countries, on certain passports, on certain lists, or of some religious bent seems entirely appropriate.  There would doubtless be a good deal of distress over this, particularly the religious issue.  However, common sense notes that much of the threat is in fact religious in nature.  Would that it were otherwise, but it's simply not.

The common sense bottom line then is this - technolgoy is not a fix, better procedures are, and much as it offends given that the threat is in major part religious based profiling is an entirely reasonable response.