Thursday, November 17, 2011

George McGovern: Abolish The TSA and Homeland Security

Former Sen. and Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern, who ran on an anti-Vietnam war platform, is calling for the Transportation Security Administration and the entire Homeland Security Department to be eliminated, reports The Hill.

In a new book, What It Means to be a Democrat he says that current airport security procedures are "ridiculous." He writes, further:
The whole silliness of our response is exemplified by what has happened at our airports. Once sources of architectural pride, air terminals are now barricaded behind concrete. Inside we are required to remove our shoes and belts, hand over our gels and liquids and submit to body scans — with the ante being raised each time there's a new scare.

What upsets me the most is when I see an elderly woman trying her dardedest to comply with these ridiculous rules. As if she could possibility harboring an explosive in her suitcase," he continued. "Now that our initial distress over 9/11 has dissipated, I suggest that we stop this needless hassle, a palliative that costs $7 billion a year and rising.
Then he takes on all of Homeland Security:
To my mind, in fact, the entire Homeland Security department — with its more than 200,000 employees and more than $42 billion budget — ought to be dissolved," he wrote. "The third largest Cabinet department, it sprang from 9/11's shock waves to put the agencies that deal with counterterrorism, including airport safety, under one roof. "

I believe we should leave the business of protecting the American public from terrorist attacks to the FBI, the CIA and our police department.

3 comments:

  1. I'm kind of disappointed that Ron's proposed plan doesn't eliminate the DHS, as he's stated numerous times over the years that it should be done away with. I'm left hoping that his plan is a trojan horse; that he intends to only follow it for the first year, while introducing steeper cuts in following years. I'm having a hard time getting behind a plan that collects a projected $3 trillion in revenue.

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  2. I seem to recall Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern in 1972 calling for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Western Europe (and, of course, Viet Nam). Though a mainstream welfare-state liberal in many ways, he was never all bad.

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  3. "I believe we should leave the business of protecting the American public from terrorist attacks to the FBI, the CIA and our police department."
    Yeah! We can trust THEM! Hahahahahahaha!!!!!

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