Why Is The TSA Permitted To Abuse The Rights Of Any American Traveling By Air?

{Editor’s Note: This is the 8th installment of a series of articles attempting to address the 32 questions posed by Ron Paul in his recent farewell speech given in front of Congress. Check out the previous installment, Why Can't American Decide Which Type Of Light Bulbs They Can Buy?}Regular readers of this site (yes, we have some! I swear!) will be all too familiar with my past encounters with the "boys in blue" at the Transportation Security Administration.  I had an otherwise fantastic Memorial Day weekend end with what could only be described as a sexual assault.  A few days later, after filing a formal complaint, I had  a conversation with a TSA supervisor during which he openly admitted that groping of male and female genitals during patdowns was TSA's official policy.It's safe to say that for me, opposing the TSA and it's endless list of abuses is more than just an exercise in libertarian theory - it's downright personal.So why do we as Americans put up with all of the nude body scanners, the gropings, the rude treatment?  The freedom of movement is an integral part of the Constitution and a vital ingredient to a free society.  And yet today we are subject to routine violations of the 4th Amendment for the "suspicious act" of merely purchasing a plane ticket.The TSA, originally created by Congress after 9/11 with the supposed purpose of keeping us safe from all those scary terrorists (even ones that the FBI puts on the planes themselves) looking to kill us all for our freedom.  And yet in reality what the TSA really engages in would be better referred to as "security theater". Watch this TED talk given at the alma mater of the Lions Of Liberty, Penn State University, back in 2010, where the disconnect between the mirage created by security theater and reality is explained. Despite the facts about security, the TSA seemingly has special legal powers to continually violate the rights of travelers, up to and including sexually assaulting libertarian bloggers.  If I did what TSA did to me during my patdown to a random person on the street, I would be immediately arrested and charged with sexual assault.  And despite much public outcry, the TSA's policies are gradually becoming more and more accepted, regardless of the (lack of) logic behind them.Why Is The TSA Permitted To Abuse The Rights Of Any American Traveling By Air?The introduction of the TSA into our daily routine serves several purposes.  As with all government programs, there is a crony capitalist element at play, as the body scanners were originally commissioned by former Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff.  Perhaps it's only coincidence that after he left his post his company, The Chertoff Group, went on to lobby for Rapiscan, (no, that's not a misprint) one of the major companies that builds and sells the body scanners to the U.S. government.  Of course, we can't justify all those fancy body scanners if nobody is using them, so those that choose to "opt out" must be kept to a minimum.  Thus, the opt-outers have to constantly deal with long waits, nasty looks, and some good 'ol fashioned TSA groping.The TSA also serves a greater purpose towards the expansion of the rapidly growing police state in the United States.  From the 30,000+ drones set to patrol our skies or the indefinite detention provisions of the NDAA, the government seems to be getting less and less shy about the fact that it wants to create a tight control grid over society.  Just as the Nazis began to restrict the travel of German citizens, hassling citizens and demanding their "papers" at checkpoints, the TSA will serve to incrementally restrict travel and make Americans feel like prisoners wherever they go.  Avoid the airports if you like, but the TSA isn't stopping there.  From train stations to highways to malls and even the Super Bowl, the TSA is rapidly expanding it's reach (pun possibly intended) from the airports into anywhere and everywhere Americans might travel.Aside from my personal experience with the TSA, it is one of the issues I am most outspoken about because I see it for what it is: a walking, talking, and decidedly chilling manifestation of "Big Brother" tasked with normalizing a prisoner mentality among the populace.  It's easy to make jokes at the TSA's expense (and we certainly encourage that on this site!), but what the TSA represents is no laughing matter.Only by pulling back the mask and revealing the TSA's true nature will we successfully convince society at large that the existence of the TSA isn't about your security; it's about the State's.Receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!