Baby steps to a new and scary normal

One of the things that I glanced at during the last week while catching up on my reading was a posting about a new documentary about the TSA, those people who are in charge of airport security. Alas, I didn't save the link. The posting talked about some of the ways in which the TSA is incompetent. I'm sure the documentary delves into that in great detail. The TSA is apparently making air travel more of a hassle while making it also less secure.

Something else I read in the past week suggests another question: So if they are incompetent at security what is the real purpose of the TSA? In the September 2005 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact (yeah, I'm five years behind in my reading) editor Stanley Schmidt proposes an answer: to soften us up. In 2005 the scene at any airport would horrify someone who had jumped straight out of 1985 without living through 2001. It would seem we live in a police state. Yet, in 2005, this was considered normal, even desired and necessary.

A few more things Schmidt mentions: Through blogging (…ahem…) and Facebook many people, especially youth, have grown up with giving away all aspects of their lives. To them it is normal. Many parents have been scared enough (and who is scaring them?) that they want ways (such as nannycams) to constantly monitor their children. Such kids now see surveillance as normal.

It wouldn't take much effort to convince us the necessity of more surveillance (and the GOP seems to be actively pushing it) and by baby steps all the trappings of a police state would soon seem normal.