Saidme wrote on Aug 21
st, 2003 at 6:11pm:
steincj
Hate to knock you off your soap box
No you don't. You knocked me off so you could get on.
Quote:but comparing the perceived failures of polygraph to a terroist attack, space shuttle disaster, or the northeast blackout is ludicrous.
First of all, how you get off saying that the polygraph only has "percieved" failures is beyond me. I sat in your damned chair. I was told I was a spy and unfaithful to my nation. I saw the failure of the polygraph firsthand, and watched 2 friends fail in similar fashion, at the hands of the same man and his foolish machine. These failures are in
no way "percieved."
I have been around LE all of my life, and the polygraph has always been a favorable tool, when used properly. But the widespread jurisdiction it has been granted well exceeds its narrow window of accuracy. Yet our agencies still hold blind faith in its effectiveness. Until a major incident opens their eyes, it will not change, and you will remain as self-righteous and arrogant about how wonderful your profession is until that day.
Quote:For every perceived (stress perceived)injustice with polygraph there are countless positive cases that will overshadow them.
Funny you use the word "countless." The numbers are countless,
because they can't be counted. No lab can accurately reproduce real life polygraph test stressors, so your accuracy numbers are bogus. And how is it that polygraphers "count" their numbers, anyway? How can they know their failure rate if they don't know whether they let a deceptive individual pass? How many polygraphs did Aldrich Ames pass? When he did pass, was he "counted" as an accuarate test?
Quote:The only thing you were correct on is that you all bitch and moan.
I stand corrected. Overreaction and bitching and moaning -- THEY are the American ways.
Quote:In the mean time you and your pals can hope and pray for some major disaster to further your cause.
Once again, a polygrapher questions my patriotism. See, I would NEVER hope and pray for some major disaster. And I wouldn't ask anyone else to do so. That's a line I refuse to cross. But your DoDPI training teaches you to cross that line, doesn't it. Work that reaction out of the subject, right? It's the only way to "ensure the DI."
It's your soap box, Saidme.
Chris