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[TheBiggerFish]

I mean yeah, the TSA has a shit record of actual prevented hijacks.  But just because nobody assaults your wall, doesn't mean they wouldn't have raided you if the wall wasn't there.  That's pretty obvious right?  That security dissuades attempts?

That seems like a reasonable assertion, yes.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

The issue comes in when you realize that the wall is made of spray foam and the guards are MGS-style cardboard cutouts. HomeSec tries to smuggle shit past the TSA fairly regularly, from weapons to nuclear materials. They are almost never, ever caught. Anybody actually trying to do harm can easily subvert the glorified mall cop standards of the TSA.

[Frumple]

Yeah... depends on the security. A wall that's crumbly and full of handholds is often worse than no wall at all, because it leads people to wasting resources on areas that aren't an issue and/or focusing away from things that are, among other things. Poorly implemented security is often worse than none, heh. Applies particularly to IT and whatnot, but the sentiment is fairly universal.

We don't really have any meaningful data that the TSA et al bullshit hasn't been straight up counterproductive. It's definitely been, to all appearances, mostly useless and freakishly cost inefficient. If there's any deterrence going on, it's harder to tell than it normally is for such things.

[smjjames]

BTW, Trump is doing the whole 'birther' thing on Cruz. http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/06/politics/ted-cruz-birthplace-donald-trump/index.html

At least this time, it's actually legitimate concerns rather than manufactured concerns.

He only lived in Canada until he was 3 and has an American mother, so, it's not like he wasn't in the US for much of his life.

[Rolan7]

150 years later, Alabama still does not understand how federalism works.

I heard this on NPR today and it made me... I want to say mad, but mostly sad?
But more than that, I'm someone who believes in the federal government with a fanatical desperation.  And between this and the Bundy militia, I'm losing faith.  If I'm going to keep believing in the system, it really needs to crack down HARD to enforce things.  When there's no question...  These are really common sense.  Same-sex marriage isn't some atrocity that should be illegal, and violent militias should be shut down as efficiently and bloodlessly as possible.

I am very liberal in that I want a big government that does its godsdamn job.  And I want to believe.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

BTW, Trump is doing the whole 'birther' thing on Cruz. http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/06/politics/ted-cruz-birthplace-donald-trump/index.html

At least this time, it's actually legitimate concerns rather than manufactured concerns.

He only lived in Canada until he was 3 and has an American mother, so, it's not like he wasn't in the US for much of his life.

Holy shit, it actually happened. Based Trump making the world a better place, one meme at a time.

[Frumple]

For what it's worth, Rol, the guy that gave the order has already been kicked out of his position once (got re-elected, but still) and is probably about to get kicked out of it again. It won't stand for very long, and it's fairly arguable it's standing at all as is. Dude's mostly just doing it to be a lil'shit about it, fairly standard practice for alabama.

[Rolan7]

For what it's worth, Rol, the guy that gave the order has already been kicked out of his position once (got re-elected, but still) and is probably about to get kicked out of it again. It won't stand for very long, and it's fairly arguable it's standing at all as is. Dude's mostly just doing it to be a lil'shit about it, fairly standard practice for alabama.

Oh, good.  Was worried it'd turn into another huge multi-month "thing" where we discussed whether a federal employee had to obey their oath and do their fucking job.  (In the absence of any actually harmful orders, just issuing fricken marriage licenses)

[Frumple]

Eh, moore's not a federal employee -- elected state-level judge. High up, insofar as that goes, but no more than that. It may indeed take a bit for everything to get processed and the jackass to get the boot again, but there's not really much question of the order sticking. Though there is the possibility it doesn't happen fast enough for the blighter's term to not just end... iirc, he's on his last one, so folks may just more or less shrug their shoulders and wait for 'im to go away. Not sure how much I'd blame people for deciding alabama just isn't worth the effort >_>

Fun bit is that any judges that follow moore's ruling may actually be liable to face contempt of court charges if they do, ehehe. Neat lil' casual write up on some of the history involved, that I ran across on a different forum.

[RedKing]

Not sure how much I'd blame people for deciding alabama just isn't worth the effort >_>

When I first read this, I was thinking in terms of "We've decided you're just not worth keeping in the United States, Alabama."

I'm still thinking that, actually. Would provide a nice emigration option for the Confederate flag crowd and people like the Bundys too. Of course, we'd have to build a wall around it (and make them pay for it).

[Egan_BW]

Of course, it wouldn't do to create a new state entirely surrounded by another state. Thus, we should also found the greater empire of north carolina.

[origamiscienceguy]

Even still, Ted Cruz is a US citizen and can be president. (If the government decided that Ted Cruz was ineligible, they'd have to kick Obama out as well  ) So Trump is wrong about that as well, Obama is a US citizen.

[RedKing]

Of course, it wouldn't do to create a new state entirely surrounded by another state. Thus, we should also found the greater empire of north carolina.

Hmm...I don't know if we want our border reaching all the way to Alabama. That would mean annexing Georgia and Tennessee. I rather like the idea of the United States acting as a buffer state between us and Alabamastan.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Even still, Ted Cruz is a US citizen and can be president. (If the government decided that Ted Cruz was ineligible, they'd have to kick Obama out as well  ) So Trump is wrong about that as well, Obama is a US citizen.

That's actually not completely true. If the deciding factor is literally being born from an American onto American soil, then Obama qualifies and Cruz doesn't.

Of course, it wouldn't do to create a new state entirely surrounded by another state. Thus, we should also found the greater empire of north carolina.

Hmm...I don't know if we want our border reaching all the way to Alabama. That would mean annexing Georgia and Tennessee. I rather like the idea of the United States acting as a buffer state between us and Alabamastan.

We can always carve out the halfway-valuable parts of Georgia and leave the rest, this will also give us an excuse to dismantle Atlanta and carry their infrastructure back off to the Triangle.

Tennessee, on the other hand, should probably be made a penal colony.

[Sheb]

Tennessee, on the other hand, should probably be made a penal colony.

Don't you want control of the bourbon wells?