Gabbard Episode Shows the Surveillance State Strong and Stupid as Ever

Source: The American Conservative
by James Bovard

“TSA’s air marshal program is the equivalent of a ticking time bomb waiting for the next boondoggle to explode. TSA claims that it merely places air marshals on flights which are considered high-risk for hijacking or terrorist attacks. But in 2021, insiders revealed that 900 air marshals—almost half the active total — were designated to stand by for flights taken by members of Congress. … Quiet Skies is only the latest TSA air marshal pratfall. TSA spends almost $1 billion on air marshals. Though marshals have never stopped a hijacking, they have scored plenty of headlines. … Rep. John Duncan (R-TN) groused that the air marshal program ‘has come to be a symbol of everything that’s wrong with the DHS, when 4,000 bored cops fly around the country First Class, committing more crimes than they stop.'” (08/25/24)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/gabbard-episode-shows-the-surveillance-state-strong-and-stupid-as-ever/