Crying Wolf

ducksqueak · Post by **ducksqueak** » Jun 3rd 2003, 12:18 am

I've noticed that this whole color level for terrorist threats system is not working. I remember how scared I was the first time they moved the threat to orange. I look back on it now and it just seems ridiculous. I live in NYC and my life has absolutely changed since the attacks on 9/11. I am more careful and more aware of my surroundings, but it's not a real drastic change. Everytime we have been on orange alert, nothing has happened. I feel like our leaders are jumping to orange too soon or maybe they want us to live in a heightened state of fear so we feel like they are protecting us. I really hate when the gov't pats itself on the back b/c it thwarted potential attacks during an orange alert pattern. It's psychologically damaging to the point where I feel numb when the alert is heightened. I was just wondering what other peoples' thoughts were.

andrewgd · Post by **andrewgd** » Jun 3rd 2003, 12:41 am

I think the main goal of the alert system is for police/fire dept./ etc.

Its a mistake for the media to turn it into an "everyman" thing. From what I understand, thats not how its intended. I think it should be ignored, unless you work for some emergency service, and then it is more applicable. And those services better understand what the different levels of alart mean.

Post by **mglenn** » Jun 3rd 2003, 10:32 am

Ahhhhh!!!!! I agree with andrew!!!! Dogs and Cats living together. Mass Hysteria!

lance · Post by **lance** » Jun 3rd 2003, 11:55 am

mglenn wrote:Ahhhhh!!!!! I agree with andrew!!!! Dogs and Cats living together. Mass Hysteria!

LOL!

Best,

Lance Man

andrewgd · Post by **andrewgd** » Jun 3rd 2003, 1:31 pm

mglenn wrote:Ahhhhh!!!!! I agree with andrew!!!! Dogs and Cats living together. Mass Hysteria!

Hey! We've agreed in the past!

I seem to remember The Patriot Act had us on the same side. I'm also leaning your way when it comes to welfare and such. The foils can be lowered once in a while.

I think I may actually agree with more Republican/conservative ideals. But the trouble is, they're just ideals. Just as the Marxist ideals sound wonderful, they haven't played out so nicely...

Nothingman · Post by **Nothingman** » Jun 3rd 2003, 2:20 pm

I pay a lot more attention to the level of fire danger than I ever do to the terror threat level. I know that if I'm careless I could start a forest fire, and that if I see someone being careless, I can correct them. I don't think that by being absent minded I will somehow blow up a building or poison our water supply. If I find that my neighbor is storing the plague in his garage, or if he has stockpiles of fertilizer and blueprints of the statue of liberty; I will certainly report it to the police, but what are the odds? Would a heightened terror alert make me likely to report it, no.

The fact remains that there isn’t anything Joe Average can do about it. I agree with Andrew, that unless you are part of the first responder or security forces, it doesn’t apply to you. Not to say that I’d be apathetic to an attack, but all we can do is hope that the people in charge will do the right thing. If we are attacked in a Orange alert, at least the people will feel like the government will have had some idea it was coming and tried to do something. Perhaps its purpose is to provide the American people assurance that the government is trying to combat the threat. It’s a bit like a golfer yelling “Four!”, the ball is already airborne, he has no control of it, it may or may not hit you, but at least he told warned you of the possibility.

Post by **mglenn** » Jun 3rd 2003, 3:03 pm

...or if he has stockpiles of fertilizer and blueprints of the statue of liberty; I will certainly report it to the police...

But what happens when he turns out to be a contracted grounds keeper for Liberty Island?

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