The wealthy and privileged will soon be less burdened by some of the silly little national security hassles the "War on Terrorism" generates for airline travelers. With a privately issued security pass, called a Clear™ card, they will soon be able to walk right past the lines of unwashed masses in stocking feet waiting to be frisked and dash through an express lane to make their next war profiteering meeting with ease. Only peasants wait in line.

     This connivence is being brought to you by Verified Identity Pass Inc. (VIP), a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest military contractor whose customer base overwhelmingly consists of the US Defense Department and other US federal agencies. So let's see, the company reaps the short and long term benefits from expanded military spending due to US militarism and goals of hegemony and the increasingly hostile world this creates, and now they will benefit from alleviating one of the minor hassle's this type of environment creates for the upper class. Well done.

     The $80 annual fee, security application, finger printing and retinal scanning might not seem like much to some, but to a family going on a vacation or the average casual traveler it's more money and hassle than it's worth. For business people and other similar frequent fliers, the fee and seemingly slight personal intrusion of the screening process will admittedly be worth the time savings, especially since VIP wants to spread the use of the Clear™ card to other public venues like sporting events and offices buildings. In tired business vernacular, it seems like win-win deal, a no-brainer with no downside.

     However, since the service is provided by a private firm the application review process and it’s subsequent implementation is determined by private company policy not publicly defined rights and procedures. According to VIP if your application for a pass is rejected for any reason, the decision can not be appealed nor can you reapply, ever. It’s nothing personal just company policy. Remember, since corporations are treated as individuals with privacy rights under the law they do not have any public obligations for information transparency nor do freedom of information acts apply. You as a citizen don’t have the right to know what a company knows nor what it does behind closed doors.

     This all begs the question, how will being unable to obtain a Clear™ card for any reason effect one's business career and ability to advance socially and economically? What type of stigma will be placed on the sales person, business partner, or executive that must wait in line with the masses while the rest of his or her colleagues flash the card and stroll through airport or building security like royalty? Corporately defined security clearance would be yet another layer of elitism and discrimination.

Todd Burns is a blogger who currently resides in an undisclosed location in Alaska. He can be reached at TWBurns@gmail.com.