Bizarre measures against terrorism

Since 9/11, terrorism has, of course, been an all-pervasive issue. But an interesting aside to the traditional narrative of fear, hatred and polemic with which terrorism goes hand in hand is capitalism’s capacity to incorporate such horror into traditional market structures. Much has been made of the branded nature of al Qaeda, and the carefully timed video clips of al Qaeda representatives spouting extremist rubbish has all of the finesse of a well planned viral advertising campaign. Indeed, for an organisation which has no concrete identity (no offices, no official staff, no payroll) it has been incredibly "successful," if such a term can be applied.

So, it was with little surprise that we found this, a list of the top ten strangest anti-terrorism patents. All are genuine, and all display a keen nose for profit come the expansion of the war on terrorism. Perhaps the most apocalyptic is the Biohazard Suit with Built-In Toilet, an invention that suggests a world where un-gassed public conveniences are few and far between.