Carry-on liquids prohibited, solids and gases to follow

Just in time for U.S. Congressional Elections and the release of Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, British authourities announce they have shut down production of the sequel. This page is taking the official rhetoric about preventing a catastrophe worse than 9/11 with a grain of salt. Remember, it wasn't long ago that 17 Islamic Terrorists were about to reduce Toronto to a smoking cinder until it became apparent that they were a bunch of kids who were duped by the RCMP. You don't need a movie ticket to see the September 11 story retold, because the same stupidity is playing out in public once more. Rather than do something to actually prevent terrorist attacks (like chucking a foreign policy based on SUV sales and the Book of Revelations), the Just Us League of Hysteria are wrongfully taking the fight to the airport check-in counter, again.

The ban of liquid items in carry-on baggage is not about making passengers safer, it's about to intimidating passengers to make governments look like they're in control. They can't stop the Iraqi insurgency, they can't shut down Al-Qaida, but they can make you take off your shoes, have people go through your belongings, and frisk you with an electronic wand. If you can think of any other place where people submit to this kind of activity, you're probably reading this while wearing a jumpsuit with a number on it...or a raincoat.

Actually, the Powers that Be could actually care care less about your security. The Seattle Times reported this week that a three-hour backlog at the border crossing in Blaine, Washington was waved through because an inspection team from the Congressional Homeland Security Committee was on its way. Also this week, The Globe and Mail's Lawrence Martin revealed that Stephen Harper had a charter pilot fired for backing up a flight attendant who asked the Prime Minister to switch off his blackberry just before takeoff.

Remember these two illustrations when you're paying $15.00 for a tiny bottle of hand lotion or $5.00 for a bottle of water to keep from dehydrating on a long flight because they won't let you bring your own anymore. You might be able to barter something with cigarettes or a lighter, because those items weren't even prohibited after 9/11, thanks to your friends in the tobacco lobby. Temporary measures, you say? Wasn't the occupation of Iraq supposed to last six months? Weren't Canadian troops supposed to be home from Afghanistan by now? Wasn't income tax supposed to be repealed after the First World War?