First Class Citizens

James Fallows notes that the TSA's willingness to let business and first class ticket holders have express lanes is unseemly, and also, that the TSA isn't doing much good, anyway.  Hear, hear on both counts.  Don't get me wrong--when American bumps me, I too enjoy whizzing through security.  But it isn't right, and the distinctions should be abolished.  It's perfectly appropriate for airlines to offer perks to those who pay more.  But the US government is not supposed to offer classes of service.  I know we fall short of that ideal in ever so many ways.  But that's no reason to abandon it entirely.