Homeland Security USA

Slate absolutely SLAMS ABC's new series, "Homeland Security USA" in a review today, arguing that the show validates the claim that the Department of Homeland Security is more a nanny than an actual watchdog. Your loyal correspondent has a commitment that prevents her from watching the premiere tonight, but I'll report back tomorrow morning.

One thing that I think is important to remember as Slate, The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, etc., critique our Homeland Security operations is that while it may be easy to get frustrated with a TSA scanner scrutinizing your bag, a border patrol agent asking for your passport, or whomever, they are not the source of security theater policies. I find it really frustrating when authors and critics slam TSOs, CBP agents, etc., for being sincerely invested in the mission. It's not actually corny to care about airline safety because people you care about fly. It's not irredeemably cheesy to want to protect the United States from attack. Do the policies we have best achieve those goals? Perhaps not. I'm not super-concerned about belly dancers coming to the U.S. without appropriate work visas unless they're being trafficked in. But it's not wrong to be concerned about people being trafficked in.