Security, Smith’s Way
The cyber model.

By James D. Miller, assistant professor of economics, Smith College
October 30, 2001 9:45 a.m.

nleash the marketplace to strengthen airport security. The socialistic solution of federalizing airport-security workers will deny us the creativity we need to fight terrorists. Only by utilizing the constant competition that the free market provides can we protect America's skies.

Computer networks have to endure incessant attacks from hackers. Network providers have to continually strengthen their defenses to ward off new types of assaults. Hackers have consequently increased computer security and have made the U.S. more resistant to terrorist cyber-attacks. Computer security is not provided by the government, but rather by a marketplace that punishes any firm that can't protect its electronic assets. America's airplanes should be protected by a similar free market approach.

American companies should be created which attempt to smuggle fake guns, knives, and explosives past airport security. These firms should be paid by airport-security providers every time they get their fake weaponry past some checkpoint. If the rewards for fake smuggling were high enough, some of the best and brightest would try their hand at smuggling. The ingenuity these Americans would show in smuggling would almost certainly exceed anything that terrorists are capable of.

Airport security should be taken over by private firms not owned by the airlines. These security companies would directly compete with smuggling firms. Smuggling firms that didn't thwart airport security would go bankrupt, as would security providers that couldn't stop smuggling. The constant competition between the smuggling firms and airport security would help make America's skies safe. If airport security is forced to continually battle against professional smugglers then the security firms will find it easy to defeat the evil terrorists who threaten our skies.

Obviously, the government would have to set guidelines about how much successful smugglers would be paid by airport security and dictate which types of fake weapons they would be allowed to use. The government should require that smuggling firms report in detail all successful smuggling attempts. These reports should be given to all airport-security firms so that they can learn from others' mistakes. While the manner in which the smuggling firms foil security should not be made public, travelers should be told how often security is breached at each airport. Full disclosure is the best way to eradicate irrational fears of terrorism or (for insecure airports) encourage rational avoidance of flying.

This proposal could be extended to allow ordinary Americans to engage in fake smuggling. Perhaps at an airport gift shop you could buy a fake gun which would earn you a free flight if you get it onto your plane. (But would you still want to fly?)

The Senate has proposed making all airport workers federal employees. While this approach will strengthen the government-employee-dependent base of the Democratic party, it won't strengthen airport security. The wealth that capitalism produces in America is surely a cause of the envy that probably motivated the September 11th attacks. Capitalism produces wealth because it gives those who succeed financial rewards and encourages those who fail to move on to new ventures. Since it is difficult to both reward and fire federal employees, they are shielded from much of the motivating force of capitalism. Airport-security firms and workers should face the same motivation that private sector businesses do. Let's have capitalism protect our skies.