Virtually Exposed

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Why the illusion of safety may be more important

By Sam McCann
The Department of Homeland Security’s latest creation sounds like it was ripped straight from an Orwellian novel: After a failed plane bombing Christmas Day, the government debuted a device that virtually strip-searches citizens when they arrive at the airport. Civil liberty advocates are up in arms about the invasion of privacy. Critics claim the scanners don’t even do their job properly. But here’s the secret no one’s talking about: None of it matters. In the world of aviation security, perception trumps all. As long as we feel safer, it doesn’t matter if the scanners actually slow down terrorists at all.

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