"unruly passenger drinking and smoking onboard. The passenger has since been placed on the no-fly list"
Good, job well done. But smoking and unruly behavior is different from simply requesting to deplane.
"they deserve a forceful lesson"
No, they deserve to be protected by the law.
"Well said. The politics behind this are immaterial."
No, this is about NOTHING BUT politics. Had this delay been the result of a drunk cricket team it would have barely raised an eyebrow. Had the delay been caused by union games during contract negotiations by belligerent pilots it would have been applauded. This debate here on pprune has legs simply because it panders to the knuckle dragging regular joe in the street who hates immigration and wants to blame all of life ills on immigrants.
"Too many times people check in their bags and then "get lost" in the shopping centres posing as terminals"
And do you advocate adding such folk to the no fly list?
"Why didn’t he tell check-in staff of his displeasure at check-in if he was so disturbed by it"
The unfair treatment of the deportee did not unfold until after boarding had commenced.
"if a passenger is ordered to sit down by a crew member and refuses,"
No where in the article did it suggest that he refused anything.
"there is no debating the said passengers were in violation of Federal Law in refusing to abide a crew direction"
Which crew directions?
"In my book, that is not acceptable behaviour"
The world does operate in accordance of what is in your book.