TSA is profiling Airline passengers.

"But would they do it? Not likely because the main goal is to discourage air travel at least for the not that important people." But that would pertain to a lot of people, wouldn't it? If these "not so important" people stopped flying, airlines would lose a lot of business, wouldn't they? If they lose enough business airline employees could lose their jobs, airlines would close down, and eventually the airlines would go broke (I highly doubt that would happen, but it's still a possibility). Of course, airlines could always just up the rates for the more important people. But even then they might still lose business if these more important people decide to stop flying as well. Do they really want to do chance that? They need to find a better way to do things, before passengers are subject to undergo such extensive examinations. Because if it comes down to that, no one in their right mind is going to travel by plane, are they?

Then maybe the government would have to step in and take over the Airlines and run them just like the auto companies.

What is unfortunate is that with all the enhanced security since 9/11 they have not caught one terrorist before they boarded the plane. We have had the shoe bomber and the underwear bomber have made it through the screening. During the same time Israel has used screeners to check passengers and not one terrorist has gotten on one of their planes. We need to learn from what works and not try to reinvent something different.

In any bureaucracy the only way they become important is to force their will on the people. TSA does this by creating more and more rules, this make them more important. The bureaucracy thrives on the rules and regulations and in making people follow their set procedures.