Der Auftritt des Stand-Up Comedian Georg Carlin hat bereits 11 Jahre auf dem Buckel, aber erstaunlich wenig an Aktualität verloren. In einer über 50-minütigen Tirade zieht Carlin über Flugsicherung und Terrorismusbekämpfung sowie das (überzogene) Sicherheitsbestreben amerikanischer Bürger her. Das Bühnenprogramm You Are All Diseased (TV 1999) ist nicht nur sehr unterhaltsam, sondern erweist sich aus heutiger Sicht als geradezu prophetische Weissagung des Post-9/11 Sicherheitsdiskurses.
As far as I’m concerned, all of this airport security – the cameras, the questions, the screening, the searches, is just one more way of reducing your liberty and reminding you they can fuck with you anytime they want, as long as you’re willing to put up with it. Which means, of course, anytime they want. Because that’s the way Americans are now. They’re always willing to trade away a little of their freedom for the feeling – the illusion – of security.
You have got to be realistic about terrorism. Ya gotta be a realist: Certain groups of people – muslim fundamentalists, christian fundamentalists, jewish fundamentalists, and just plain guys from Montana – are going to continue to make life in this country very interesting for a long, long time. That’s the reality. Angry men in combat fatigues talking to god on a two-way radio and muttering incoherent slogans about freedom are eventually going to provide us with a great deal of entertainment.
