Naked, but secure? How much security can a democracy endure?

By , March 10, 2010 14:13

Yesterday, I did (as usual) watch the actual edition of Quarks & Co. This edition had the title “Naked, but secure? How much security can a democracy endure?”

As also usual with this format, Ranga Yogeshwar, the moderator of this format, did not make any ostentatious claims, but listed simple facts. He had two persons in the studio with him, one that once was perceived as a terrorist and had been silently followed by Germany’s security offices, and one social psychologist, explaining the mechanisms of perceived “Angst” and the irrational reactions to that by the state and its people. One example: After 9/11 US citizens no longer wanted to fly by plane, because they feared to become a victim of another terror assault. So they travelled by car. The rate of incidents when using a car is way higher than when using a plane, so that irrational deviation led to some 1500 more dead persons in the year after 9/11. Another example: The airport at Frankfurt alone is paying 2 Million Euro PER WEEK for destroying the waterbottles et.al. that are raided at the security checks. The psychologist simply said: “Use that money to develop Afganistan, and Al-Quaida is history!”

These are just two small examples, of misguided reactions to terror-events, that had been induced by the government or irrational reactions of its citizens.

Think about it! And watch the replay on Saturday at noon on WDR3! Or download the feature as a podcast from: http://medien.wdr.de/download/1268164800/quarks/wdr_fernsehen_quarks_und_co_20100309.mp4. Sadly, it’s in German only… That’s the only caveat I have…

Thanks, Ranga, for a great edition (as usual!)!

Matthias

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