The Oppressive Skies

Pilots of private planes are complaining that TSA is applying to them some of the security rules that apply to commercial flights.  Applying security rules to private planes, they say, is just like fascism.  Or, as one pilot puts it, TSA's claim that it has discretion to apply the rules to private planes "is exactly what the Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo) said when anyone complained."

A picture shows just how shocking this assertion of authority is. Here's the Google private plane:
                                             

Really, you can see immediately that there's just no chance a terrorist could ever scam a ride on such a plane, or that a plane like that would do any damage if it were flown into a building.  Private planes, after all, are for our kind of people, not the hoi polloi that travel commercial.

Remarkably, the libertarian blogosphere buys the whole Nazi analogy.  Rand Simberg writes, "First they came for the pilots, and I said nothing because I wasn’t a pilot…" Yeah, that's it.  Wealthy pilots who want a special exemption from rules that apply to everyone else are just like, uh, Jews in Nazi Germany.

And Glenn Reynolds buys into the same meme.  Maybe he really does plan to take the Boeing.

Comments

[Jowneu!!]

I liked the part where the guy said he "accurately paraphrased". Yeah, like they "accurately paraphrased" Palin saying "I can see Russia from my house"...

[Joe]

Nice. For your example, you chose a plane owned by the #13 and #14 entries on the list of richest Americans. Try going out to an actual airport and seeing the type of people the letter was referring to (not that that should even matter).

[John Howard]

Neither the blog entry or the subsequent comments offer a substantive, logical explanation for the heavy handed internal passport/population control measure described by the private pilot. What happened to politely approaching, addressing citizens as sir and maam, and explaining one's purpose. I'll let the lack of a coat an tie pass - times change, and the yearning for black nylon SWAT gear is strong. Also, Sarah Palin did not say she could see Russia from her front porch, and actor mimicking her on SNL did. You are confusing popular culture with reality. Not your fault since the media echoed this missinformation enough times to almost make it true.

[Seerak]

The funny thing about it, is that Rand Simberg's "First they came for the pilots" was undoubtedly addressed to the sort of idiot you are... and accordingly, you missed it entirely.

[dorkafork]

Really, you can see immediately that there's just no chance a terrorist could ever scam a ride on such a plane, or that a plane like that would do any damage if it were flown into a building.

And how exactly would seeking permission from the government to fly to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean prevent that? "Idiot you are" is right.