Ben Affleck Defends TSA Groping On Bill Maher

[jmdrake]

No one has ever "grabbed my dick" during a TSA search. Not once. I've had dozens of them. And even if it did happen, I wouldn't freak out or pretend to be outraged. It might just be my cynical view of things, but I'd expect nothing less silly from the State.

Sure. But it has happened. That's my point. You could take a 6 shooter, put one bullet in it, spin the chamber and click against your skull dozens of times without ever getting shot. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen. And whether you are freaked out or outraged by molestation doesn't mean that it's not.

That's a sort of satire I can get behind! I always call them that.

That's nice. And I always call pat downs that include people's genitals molestation. No difference.

Did you miss the part where I said a principled stance on civil liberties and privacy is welcomed? It seems you did, because you're really murdering this strawman you've created.

I missed where Ben Affleck took a principled stance on civil liberties. Is Laura Ingram a tool? Yes. But to claim, as you did, that most people complaining about the TSA are those reading the gossip rags is just silly.

Sure, I could have just said Joe Dumbass Moron for each. I guess I mean to say that Joe Republican is going to vote for Our Guy no matter what, and that Joe Average is going to move with whatever the current narrative may be.

Whatever. Joe "Average" Democrat is going with the "I must support Our Guy no matter what and stop complaining about the TSA because a Democrat is in power". Ben Affleck is being "Joe Average Dumbass Moron Democrat". Most people were angry at the TSA when the "rapescans" and "invasive pat downs" (molestation) came out, not because a democrat was in power, but because they instinctively knew this was wrong. Then people like Affleck decided "Oh it's not so bad. I support Obama and Obama supports this so it must be to keep us safe right?" argument. I run mostly in democratic circles. I saw the rage leave people once it truly sunk in that Obama, Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Affleck, fill-in-the-blank liberal statist supported the scanners and patdowns.

No, it isn't. I'm just not prone to hyperbole or over sensitivity. It is absolutely not molestation. It's annoying and it is a waste of time. It requires a presumption of guilt and can't possibly be considered Constitutional, but it absolutely is not molestation.

Just because you haven't been groped in your genitals and just because you personally don't mind being molested doesn't mean it's not molestation.

Sure, every time I opt-out, I'm reminded that Ohh Gee, this isn't that bad anymore -- we have backscatter machines that use sound or something that isn't radiation and your nuts won't be on display! That nonsense does nothing to address the civil liberties concerns.

Yep. And Affleck doesn't care about civil liberties. Ingram doesn't either. And let Romney be president and Affleck will find a reason to be against something else that isn't as bad as the TSA (since he's on record being okay with dick groping) and Ingram will defend the next thing Romney does that's worse.

I never said that. I said that privacy is non-existent in his life because the mass of Americans do not give a damn about other people's privacy. It's easy to see why he would be willing to call them on it.

Call who on it? Again, most people still against what the TSA is doing don't give a rats ass about who Ben Affleck is dating. In fact Affleck's publicist probably leaks a lot of he private life and Affleck's request. Being in the public eye increases box office marketability. Affleck didn't even bring up that lame of an argument. You did. Talk about murdering straw men.

 

[jmdrake]

You realize that comedians are artists, right? And that just because you don't find them humorous, does not mean they are not funny, or that they do not work hard to refine their craft.... right? I consider anything creative to be art. Maher creates. Therefore, he's an artist.

By that definition Obama's speech writer is an "artist". Hell, everyone who posts on a forum is an "artist".

 

[jmdrake]

Remember National Opt Out Day and how much people cared about this back in late 2010? It was #Kony2012. It was #OWS. It was the cause of the day. And like those other things, the sound and fury subsided after a couple weeks and resulted in absolutely nothing changing.
Joe Average doesn't actually care about anything other than Kim Kardashian, Honey Boo Boo, and whoever the OMG HE'S SO TALENTED next big thing on American Idol or the Voice is. Lucky for us, I guess, is that a consequence of American Apathy is that a properly motivated intelligent minority of passionate people have the power to bring about real change. To that end, I'm sure you all do something similar to what I do -- make a snarky comment about how silly the TSA, or whatever inane government program you're witnessing, is to the person next to you, share a laugh, drop a bit of friendly knowledge, then move along with your day and support political candidates who represent the change we want to see. It is, I think, the only was we can chip away at the Leviathan.

And ^that is the reason for the TSA molestation program. It's simply meant to get "Joe Average" used to the idea that some stranger grabbing your privates for no good reason is part of the "new normal". It is social conditioning pure and simple. They included children and the elderly at first in order to see how far they could get. Then they backed off completely when the reaction was too strong. Then they came back strong. Then they backed off a little again. People are conditioned to think that because kids aren't currently being groped, or because they just show an "outline" in the scanners, we've turned the corner. We haven't. It pot temperature has just been adjusted.