Assuming that the goal of the increased security measures at US airports since 9/11 is to prevent deaths due to terrorist or other attacks using airplanes, might it be the case that the increase to the total cost of flying that the longer lines and increased intrusiveness and inconveniences of their policies have created has caused a good number of people (on the margin of course) to switch to forms of transportation, such as driving, that are far more dangerous? If so, isn't it possible that the additional driving has killed more people than would have been killed by attempts at terrorism on planes?So to the degree current security measures impose costs sufficient to cause a good number of people on the margin to drive and simultaneously do little to reduce the likelihood of terrorist-caused airplane deaths, they might be having the ultimate effect of causing more deaths in the US than we'd have without them.
This is particularly relevant because of the examples we've seen of failed security measures where the bad guys were subdued by quick thinking passengers. This suggests that the real way to reduce deaths is by more vigilant, if not armed (an idea that Archie Bunker had almost 40 years ago), passengers and that even if these costly security measures were non-existent, we would be unlikely to see a repeat of 9/11.
The Fiscal Future
2 days ago
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