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[fqllve]

I'm gonna quote this because it seems to have been missed in the flurry of posts. Basically, no, Muslims are not the most likely terrorists so the whole thing is moot anyway.

You might also want to check out my post that was referenced.

Listing religion on passport (if they don't already do that, that is). My point here is that the most likely terrorists would, in fact, be Muslim extremists. Of course there would be ways to bypass this and I'll be thinking about that.

Your point is based on false premises:
http://thesciencenetwork.org/programs/beyond-belief-enlightenment-2-0/scott-atran
If you can't spare fourty minutes to watch it - an antropologist talks about the results of his study, proving no correlation whatsoever between religious extremism, and terrorism.

duh. ninja'd be fqllve. Way too many ninjas.

[Urist is dead tome]

No, I don't know where that came from, although I now get it.

But still, having to falsify your religion due to discrimination is still not good, if only because of the root problem.

You're way ahead now, I believe about J, correct me if I'm wrong.

Unlikely as for adoption of a white baby, takes too long, and if they have explosives then they can't wait very long, anyway.

... You must think all Muslim extremists are very impatient =/  You obviously don't buy explosives at the beginning, you buy them when you're going to need them soon.

My point is simply that there's a certain amount of laxness society has to decide on and consider "good enough."  There's always going to be holes.  You just have to play the probability and hope things work out okay.

You're right on both points, actually. And I would like to use the second paragraph as an argument to get rid of the scanners.

[Vector]

You're right on both points, actually. And I would like to use the second paragraph as an argument to get rid of the scanners.

Well, to be honest, I'd prefer to have the option.  Airports are already a nightmare for me without getting patted down on top of it.

It's true, though, that they may not be necessary.

[scriver]

...What the fuck do you mean, "my" idea?  You already declare a race on pretty much any government document.  I'm not coming up with ideas at all, I'm making a comparison to real world thing.

Man, really? That is really...
...I mean, why? Why is that relevant at all?

[Bauglir]

There's a fundamental practical problem in using information your targets have to knowingly give you in order to focus your scrutiny.

The only practical solution is a global police state of some sort (in which detailed, accurate records are kept of all, or very nearly all, people on the planet). Otherwise, you're not protecting anyone and are inconveniencing, annoying, and violating the privacy of a lot of people. Kind of like how people who pirate software don't actually have to deal with piracy prevention methods, because that code has a tendency to get stripped out of the software. (Not an invitation to debate software piracy, just intended as an analogy. This post makes no statement one way or the other on the issue as a whole)

That seem like a decent summary?

[Virex]

...What the fuck do you mean, "my" idea?  You already declare a race on pretty much any government document.  I'm not coming up with ideas at all, I'm making a comparison to real world thing.

Man, really? That is really...
...I mean, why? Why is that relevant at all?

Checking if the passport is yours? If my passport would say I'm a native American, I'm bound to get singled out for an interrogation...

[Aqizzar]

...What the fuck do you mean, "my" idea?  You already declare a race on pretty much any government document.  I'm not coming up with ideas at all, I'm making a comparison to real world thing.

Man, really? That is really...
...I mean, why? Why is that relevant at all?

Mostly, it's so that you can be identified as the holder of the passport, if you have no other identification, especially if you can't readily answer questions.  Such as if you're unconscious, or dead.  Race is a (mostly) immediately obvious characteristic that can't be (easily) faked.  It provides another, very distinguishing, level of physical identification beyond just age and gender.

[scriver]

...Don't you have photos in your passports?
And I was also referring to having to state your "race" on (almost all?) government papers.

[Aqizzar]

And I was also referring to having to state your "race" on (almost all?) government papers.

That's mostly a census thing, to keep a constant picture of demographic trends, since it's an important policy tool.  It's also because there's more than a few government programs specifically set up to help "disadvantaged" people or people of certain situations who predominately come from one race or another.  But probably more than anything else, because any government activity is rigorously strung through with laws and procedural rules to ensure equality of treatment, so they have to keep track of the race of the person being processed, or else they wouldn't know if you're being singled out for that.  It's a legal thing.

[scriver]

Heh, well, maybe I jumped to conclusions. The way you put it just made it sound like institutionalised racism. Which it still is, in a way. I don't understand why anyone would build their system around a concept as vague, arbitrary and straight out stupid as "races". Even if you want to counter racism, it seems to me it would just cement the problems. On the other hand, my knowledge about your system-warnings and overallities are shallow at best, so yeah. Conclusion-jumping.

[Aqizzar]

If it makes you feel any better: I find it extraordinarily interesting that American census forms (and virtually any other documents that ask for a race) don't actually specify anything for Arabic/Persian.  They include "Hispanic", "Asian and Pacific Islander", "Native American", sometimes a specific box for "Eskimo/Inuit/Alaskan Native", and maybe one of two other boxes, typically for "Indian".  They almost always say "African" and/or "African-American" instead of "Black", but almost never say "Caucasian" instead of "White".  But I've almost never actually seen an option for Arabic(/Persian).  The kicker is that sometimes this will be specifically named as applicable to "White", as it is technically also Caucasian.

[Lagslayer]

One sick fuck is just that, one sick fuck. It's what the whole (or at least vast majority) of the government does that makes me a cynic. Come to think it, I'm cynical about most things...

[Stealtharcadia]

Man. Ever since you white people came here things just went to shit.

[Urist is dead tome]

Man. Ever since you white people came here things just went to shit.

Classy.

[Gorjo MacGrymm]

Being a recovering cynic myself, I feel that this thread can only end badly.  Therefor, good day to all!  Go Manchester U!