Are the Banksters Scared?

I saw something that made me really think "WTF? Did that actually happen?"

I went on a job interview at 55 Water Street. It's a big building near Wall Street. Several big financial firms have offices there.

The level of security in the building was *RIDICULOUSLY* crazy.

I went on an interview there in 2005 or 2006. A few years ago, the security was much less. Between 2005 and now, the amount of security at 55 Water Street increased by two orders of magnitude.

There were several new security measures:

• There was a security guard stationed by each door checking ID. He had a printed list of names of who was allowed in the building. Usually, they check ID at the security desk. When I lived in Chicago, I could enter most office buildings without showing ID at all.
• There were metal detectors. Only visitors had to go through the metal detector. The people who worked there didn't go through the metal detector.
• I was photographed, twice. I was photographed once to get into the building. I was photographed again when I went past the employer's security desk. Presumably, the image was compared to a "known terrorists" database.
• When I went from one security checkpoint to another security checkpoint, I was escorted by a security guard.

As usual, the security system was providing the illusion of security but not real security. For example, a prospective terrorist probably could get a job working there as a janitor.

I joked with a security guard "They really jacked up security in the past few years!" The security guard said "Yeah, things have been crazy since 9/11."

However, that explanation makes no sense. If security were jacked up after 2001, then why did the security measures dramatically increase between 2005 and 2009? There was no new terrorist threat between 2005 and 2009!

Is this a symptom that the banksters are now scared sh**less? Are they concerned about foreign terrorists? Are they concerned that some disgruntled person will vent his frustrations?

Are the banksters really that scared of a potential revolt? If that is true, then it's actually a favorable development.

All the resources wasted on security measures are resources not available for other State evils. If State bureaucrats hire an army to guard 55 Water Street, then that's less resources available for other State evils like collecting taxes.

The level of security at 55 Water Street was way-overboard paranoid. It was disturbing that the level of security dramatically increased between 2005 and 2009.