Delta Paid for Its Own Security Upgrade and Fixed Everything
What frustrates me is the false dichotomy people have in their minds. If someone says, "Abolish the TSA!" someone else replies with, "You literally want terrorists blowing up planes? What's WRONG with you? Think of the children!"
People want services. For 90%+ (probably more?) of our daily lives, we turn to private organizations for those services via mutually beneficial voluntary exchange of value. Even "muh roads" are not provided by government, but by private contractors who get paid with your money. Removing government from an equation doesn't mean the service won't be available anymore. In most cases, it will be better, faster, cheaper, more efficient, etc.
I think most people recognize that taxation is, by definition, extortion which is a form of theft. You can personally pay taxes voluntarily all you want, but if someone else is forced to do it, that's theft. We know this. We know we're being stolen from (also via inflation because of fiat currency, but that's another matter). One way we deal with this violation is understood through Stockholm Syndrome. We defend those who aggress against us so we don't have to deal with our own victimization. That's not very healthy, and it won't get you through airports any quicker.
Give this great FEE post by Jeffrey Tucker a read:
Delta Paid for Its Own Security Upgrade and Fixed Everything.
P.S.
Luke, I've just read the Tucker article... And now I've Re-Steemed your post, simply because EVERYONE who reads that should be able to see the stark contrast and improvement between "government mandated" and "privately implemented" services...
Thanks again for bringing this forward! :)
That's why I liked this article so much. The market works because it's accountable to the customer. The government uses force and is accountable to no one, but they sure put on a good show every couple years when the livestock vote. A good show indeed.
We need to keep on showing "the livestock" a better way. Thanks for being a part of that effort! ;)
Tucker's a genius. It's not just his ability to grasp the implications of true freedom, but his ability to relay his insights in a way that's accessible to everyone. Mises showed his intellect well with the same ideas, but wrote at such a high level that it's hard to grasp sometimes. Rothbard brought that down to the layman. But Tucker brings it to the breakfast table.
Very well said! Yeah, he keeps it simple while staying classy. I love it.
Nice way of describing his work. I've always enjoyed hearing his presentations and reading his posts. :) He is also a consummate gentleman!
Your post is a perfect, concise opinion-snapshot of why things are better accomplished without coercion and the always resulting waste that accompanies it.
No other sentence makes my fur ruffle more than the ol' "Think of the children!" plea!
One of my favorites:
hahaha some truth there.
Trying to make some understand that the one who ultimately pays is the consumer is daunting. Then try to explain that most services paid by the private sector as opposed to the government has less impact on our wallet is exasperating.
We all pay in the end. The question is "How much?"
The government has no reason to problem solve or innovate. Companies have an incentive to innovate and find the best solution that is cost effective.
I haven't had to fly in a couple of years but I used to count myself lucky that Nashville and Tampa airport security was relatively quick and painless.
Yeah, I haven't had too much trouble in Nashville. Still an annoying process though.
Thanks for the comment. "How much?" indeed. Without price discovery, no one knows.
Great point and great short post - thanks for the clarity!
BTW, I think that Jeffrey Tucker is an amazing author and clear thinker. 😄😇😄
I absolutely love his stuff. I had some fun conversation with him at PorcFest last year. The freedom movement needs more rational, honorable scholars like him. I emailed him about Steemit a while back and he said it looked interesting, but I don't see him here yet. Hopefully some day. :)
Keep working on him! It would be a great fit. I've been working on some other freedom people as well...
I would love to get to PorcFest one of these years! Do you live in New Hampshire?
No, I'm in Nashville. Took me three years to convince my wife to go. I had a great time and so did the kids, but I don't think she really enjoyed it all that much.
Ah, how well I understand that! A good case for (occasional) separate vacations. ;)
there is no reason why security shouldn't be more streamlined.. people already have their tickets booked, TSA should know how many folks are going to come through the airports.. yet they continually understaff and perform inefficiently, causing problems for both customers and airlines. Happy to see some(any) solutions! those lineups sure get out of hand lol
It's security theater. :)
got that right lol
Interesting post!
Well I was the slowest on the line, just to irritate the already grumpy guy who started to bark at me, I just did like I noticed nothing.
it's nice that it goes faster with private companies but aren't the prisons in the states private as well? I'm undecided if this is really such a positive thing.
I sometimes think that the guys and girls working there would do their job no matter what was at the end of the line, an airplane, or the gas chambers.
upvoted
The "private prisons" argument is always a red herring because there's no market there. They have one and only customer: the government. Not a good example of what would happen if service providers had paying customers they had to answer to or face competitive forces in the market.
But yes, this authoritarian thinking is the same human flaw that leads to gas chambers. We need to level up and move past it.
I was aiming at the mindset of the people working at delta they are not really working for government but they are enforcing laws, the individuals working there turn in some sort of "bureaucrat" and for some their job at the private company becomes dependent on law's of government.
The people at the airport that barked at me where from some sort of a private security firm. They where not nicer than the order followers from the state. Probably because we are not paying costumers and they don't have an reputation of costumer friendly service too uphold, like the airline company.
I hope I make a little sense I'm very tired, I'm at an event and this was today's last speaker.
You probably know the guy. lol.
Lucky. :) Tucker rocks.
Some quotes
It's not actually that big of a deal, 5 lines compared to one and a automated roller compared to one where you have to push yourself through. It's interesting to me THAT costs 4million+++ in one place :D pure genius :|
But yes the TSA hadn't done that for 10 years or so the hadn't even moved :D