An Armed Monkey and the TSA

If you have Netflix, look up a documentary called "Please Remove Your Shoes". You will understand why the TSA is what it is. It's all about theater, putting on a show to make travelers feel more secure without actually improving safety. All while building a top-heavy government bureaucracy that's more concerned with funding, turf-building and dress codes than its supposed mission.
 
I once had a bottle of aftershave confiscated. I'd taken that particular bottle because there was only a dribble of liquid left in it, just enough for my 3-day trip. Far less than the 3-ounce maximum. But despite being nearly empty, because the bottle read "6 oz" on the label it was confiscated. Idiots.
 
A few years ago I was on insulin, which I carried in a little cooler when I traveled - along with enough disposable syringes to last the duration of the trip. No TSA person ever said a word about it. I could have filled those syringes with anything. But don't try to sneak in a bottle of water!
 
They took away a woman's breast milk that she'd put into a bottle for her infant, even though she presented them with a letter from the TSA explaining that this was an allowable exception. Idiots.
 
In another case, the TSA confiscated nail clippers from soldiers returning from Afghanistan on a charter flight - every one of whom was carrying a rifle, pistol or submachine gun. Morons.
 
I read about a pilot who had a little pocket knife confiscated. The TSA goon explained that he might use it to commandeer the aircraft, to which the victim replied "I'm the pilot. I'm supposed to commandeer the aircraft!".
 
In Wichita, TSA staff called for backup, saying "the suspect is not cooperating", and threatened to shut down the airport.. The suspect was 4 years old and the non-cooperation was that she wouldn't stop crying even though the agents screamed at her to shut up. WTF.
 
What's most shocking isn't that incompetence is rampant among government employees (surprise!), but that the public docilely goes along without complaint. In a recent Harris poll, 1/3 of Americans said they'd be willing to undergo a cavity search at the airport. A few years ago, the DHS seriously considered making passengers wear shock bracelets, like some might use for dog training. At the time, 1/3 of people polled said they'd be willing to wear shock bracelets. I am not making this up.