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The Cost/Benefit Analysis of Hassling
There is a widespread phenomenon in the Western democracies that I refer to as “hassling the law-abiding”. I’m familiar with the American version, but the Canadian, Australian, and Western European versions are surely similar.
The general idea is this: complex modern welfare states mobilize bureaucrats and law-enforcement agents to coerce conformity from ordinary people — normal well-behaved citizens who are (mostly) peaceful and productive members of society.
The prototype — some might say the Platonic ideal — of hassling the law-abiding occurs every day at the airport. When I travel by air I have to stand in line for half an hour, have my baggage X-rayed, remove my shoes and belt, and endure TSA employees staring at my junk on a screen. These procedures are supposed to ensure my “security”, but all they really do is display the absolute power of the State and allow sadistic low-level employees to get their jollies humiliating and inconveniencing thousands of innocent travelers a day.
Similar examples may be found at police sobriety checkpoints, or in school pat-downs, or at the National Capitol Visitors’ Center. Any added security is minimal, and mostly illusory — how many lives have been saved by these humiliating, intrusive, and authoritarian procedures? And how many billions (or trillions) of dollars do they cost the taxpayer every year?
Anonymous
August 23rd, 2012
Stopped going there when Dymphna declared herself an unrepentant IRA supporter, which makes her a hypocrite as well as by proxy a supporter of Palestinian terrorism.
IronyCurtain
August 23rd, 2012
Well, the only alternative to this would be…brace yourself, this is gonna be totally nuts… PROFILE AND HARASS THE DISGUSTING ISLAMIC SAVAGES WHO WANT TO KILL US BECAUSE THEY ARE THE REASON FOR THIS INSANITY IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!
MaryfromMarin
August 23rd, 2012
We are becoming dhimmis in our own country.
Nutjob
August 23rd, 2012
With the help of vultures..cough cough, I mean attorneys, this has been going on for a while.
The courts and our legal system doesn’t make money off of the losers and dregs,these are a burden.
Its the working class where they make their shakedown money.
I had a drug addicted daughter in law thrown in jail 8 times in 6 months, just for a few days at a time.
Everytime it would be for breaking probation or a probation violation.
What would the courts do?…nothing. Offer her treatment and still wouldn’t give custody of the grandson over, Even after 11 reports of domestic violence with the grandson witnessing this on police reports…nope
Poor little drug addict …its not her fault my grandson has to be a victim or witness this.
But you Mr working man, we want you to pay an attorney to fight our system, and then pay consultants to evaluate on why you as a hard working tax paying citizen with no arrest record would be a better parent for the grandson.
Freaking sickening and pathetic, the only condolence is the judges will face judgement 1 day.
RosalindJ
August 24th, 2012
Nutjob, you have my sympathy, not only for dealing with your daughter and grandson who really needs her more than she needs her drugs, but also for being chewed up by the side-industry built up around band-aiding problems and collecting fees.
The take-away quote from the article is from one of the comments: “The dynamic, of course, is that aside from a cost-benefit analysis, it is simply far safer for the police to deal with compliant citizens rather than the real criminals.”
Six White Cadillacs
August 24th, 2012
I was shocked last week when my grandson showed me his school ID card that he will have to wear around his neck the whole time he is in highschool.
We are being treated like criminals while the real criminals (jihadis) get the red carpet treatment.
So the only easy option I see is to just claim you are a muslim and act like you are calling the ACLU and CAIR, maybe they will be more friendly towards you and drop the restrictions. That seems like the reason our country is in such a volatile state since 9-11, the authorities have blinded themselves to the real threats.
President Obama
August 24th, 2012
“Any added security is minimal, and mostly illusory — how many lives have been saved by these humiliating, intrusive, and authoritarian procedures? And how many billions (or trillions) of dollars do they cost the taxpayer every year?”
You’re missing the point. The point of power IS power. What good is it if you can’t fuck with the peasantry? That’s what they’re there for.
The China Guide
August 24th, 2012
Thank you for sharing your wonderful thoughts with us. You’ve made some really helpful statements and I appreciate the time you’ve taken within your producing.
GregMan
August 24th, 2012
Add to that being handed a ticket for driving 5 mph over the speed limit while uninsured drivers in uninspected cars zoom by, or getting hassled at the border while going from Canada BACK INTO THE U.S.
Then there all the kids being hassled over lemonade stands. But I bet I could drive 5 miles into the city and buy any kind of illegal drug I want.