TSA on the Streets

Several months ago, I heard about the company behind the TSA body scanners lobbying to push their products into America's trains, buses, stadiums, and other public places. And it looks like the TSA took these efforts seriously, producing studies pushing for this very thing, even to the point of mobile scanners being able to examine people walking down a sidewalk.

This is offensive on every conceivable level, but my jaw also drops at the sheer pointlessness of it all. Are we really that scared of terrorism that we need to give up our entire notion of a right to privacy? I know I am not. And I don't think most other people are either. But I do feel that the combination of a powerful and wealthy company combining with a new federal agency looking to increase their power and budget is a really tough alliance to beat down.