Terror on an Olympian scale

Headspace is Reg contributor Amber Marks's exploration of how the state and private sectors are trying to exploit the science of smell to watch and control citizens. The book is published by Virgin Books and is available here. This week, in Chapter 20, Eden Olympia, Amber attends a conference dubbed Building a Secure World, …

[GremlinUK]

Refuse to travel

<blockquote>The director of Transport Security and Contingencies (TranSec) assured the audience that the government was continuing to invest in counter-terror technologies and was conducting screening trials of new technologies at stations to see how well they worked and, importantly, the extent to which the travelling public was willing to accept them.

The results so far were encouraging. The vast majority of the travelling public in the UK were happy to comply with the security arrangements. In fact, she'd been surprised by how few refused to undergo security screening.

</blockquote>

The reality is that those who refuse to undergo security screening are simply not being asked to do so because they're avoiding the means of travel that require it. Consequence: it appears that few object to screening.

Alternatively, we just put up with it because we know there's no way we'll get on the damn plane if we kick up a fuss.

[John Imrie]

Spot the diffrence

'The public should be kept permanently aware of the level of threat faced by the UK of terrorist attacks.'

Patrick Mercer

'I want this country to realize that we stand on the edge of oblivion. I want everyone to remember *why* they need us! '

Chancellor Sutler in V for Vendetta

[tardigrade]

State Fear.

'The public should be kept permanently aware of the level of threat faced by the UK of terrorist attacks.'

Patrick Mercer

Someone needs to define Terror, Terrorist and Terrorism in this context. Here's a starter for 10;

"Official or State Terrorism – referring to nations whose rule is based upon fear and oppression that reach similar to terrorism or such proportions.”

[Spleen]

Welcome to the kleptocracy

"It sounded like the War on Terror would be a permanent state of affairs and the audience seemed pleased."

Gosh, I bet they were pleased. It's as if a sow told her piglets that the milk would keep flowing from her teats forever.

"In fact, she'd been surprised by how few refused to undergo security screening."

I wouldn't have been, but then my faith in humanity died several years ago, and I can't even remember to visit the grave most weeks.

[Anonymous Coward]

And now the terror forecast

'The public should be kept permanently aware of the level of threat faced by the UK of terrorist attacks.'

'The outlook at midnight tonight. Politically oppressive with waves of extremism sweeping in from the Middle East here - and here. Generally there's a slight chance of ricin or caesium in the South East, so best take a gas mask and don't forget your identity card. And now the shitting forecast:

'Blunkett, scary becoming terrifying soon...'

[brimful]

Eh?

"There is no way we can tell but the number of casualties will be in the thousands."

No way to tell you say? Then how the F can you come up with the 1000's number? Also judging by the current terror activities, thousands seems a bit too far fetched don't you think? Ooh ooh ooh, maybe it's the government which are terrorising the populace, in which case "thousands" is a gross under estimate - something the government is all too good at doing.

[Anonymous Coward]

@spleen

@Spleen:

Pretty much everybody has higher priorities in their life than the creeping extention of surveilance in society. I know I do, and if you've flown in the past 5, 10 years, I would presume you do too.

Its understandable really. Generaly achieved in such a way it doesnt impinge on life or productivity, no more likely to effect your life than say the fact that prosecutors can reclaim money from convicted criminals they beleive is ill gained, simply because you are (at a guess) not a terrorist or a criminal.

Its not good, and its not nice. As the author rather implies the risks are exagerated, but I fear these increasing measures are more due to profit motivated cooperate lobying, and a desire by polititians to appear to do something, than some desire for control.

After all, its in the natures of both players.

I often observe that fear of big brother would better be directed at subtle corruption, intrustive lobbying, and nepotism quietly inherrant in government affairs.

[Solomon Grundy]

@John Imrie

That's one of the best quote comparisons I've seen on this site in a long time.

[Demian Phillips]

Western Values

Every time someone says that over my side of the pond; it means Jesus and a theocratic state with GOD speaking directly to the president on who to bomb next.