Some comments on the Homelande Security Advisory System, terrorism, and my general apathy towards current trend's in today's society. (1401 hits)
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Submitted by reallybored (View user info) at 2004-07-12 10:25:36 EDT
So I was reading an article on cnn.com today about possibly moving the election date back in case of a terrorist action. One of the points I found to be interesting was a quote from Tom Ridge about keeping the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) at a yellow/elevated level.
The reason I find this interesting is because it is my personal belief that the HSAS is one of, if not the, stupidest ideas the US government has come up with. I mean honestly do any of you even know what all the colors mean? Or even what is supposed to happen when it's a yellow day or a red? Do you even know what color day it is today?
The majority of you probably said no to the last three questions. Don't feel bad, I had no fucking clue either until I looked it up for this post. And even after I did, I still think it's fucking useless.
Today is supposed a yellow day, just like the day before, and the day before that. Actually we have had nothing but yellow days since the HSAS was created. The only times it has changed was when the system was raised from yellow to red during certain Muslim holidays and other similar crap. It's getting to the point where I think old Ridge forgot we had five different colors to use. He's like that kid that always rates girls between 6 and 10 or that uberer that won't stray in -1 or +1 land.
Is this how it's supposed to be? Americans constantly living in a state of CODE YELLOW: ELEVATED Significant Threat of Terrorist Attack!!(Does anybody else think after these announcements some 11 year old voice should come on and say WTF!!!OMG!!LOL!!11?)
No it shouldn't be like this. The chances of the average America dying from a terrorist act is about 1 in 88,000. Shit you have a better chances of being struck by lightning (1 in 55,298), dying in your bathtub (1 in 10,445), or even falling from a ladder (1 in 10,010). But do you see any Lightning Advisory System or an Office of Bathtub Safety? No we don't even after my many e-mails and letters to various state and local governments.
So what is a good American suppose to do these days? Do I scan the horizon for any low flying planes when it's a CODE RED: HIGH day, or pay close attention to any muslim-esque people in some sort of strange Orwellian manner when I go to city? I don't know.
I do know something though, I'm tired. I'm tired of terrorism, I'm tired of terrorists, I'm tired of bomb threats, and warnings. I'm tired of having to concern myself with some imaginary bullshit terrorist attack that isn't coming. Yes I knew some people that dyed in the WTC on September 11. But you know what, I also know a whole lot of other people that didn't.
Chances are I'm not going to die in some terrorist attack, just like the rest of you. Chances are I'm going to lead a normal life, live into my 70s, have 2.3 kids and probably die of some sort of cancer, just like the rest of you. So my advice to everyone is to forget about the threat level, turn off the terrorist-obsessed TV news channel, put down you newspaper and its printer HSAS level and go out and spend time bullshitting with your friends. Maybe BBQ or bowl a few games with a buddy. Hell maybe go out and find that special someone.
Just watch out for the lightning.
User Reviews
Submitted by podium (user info) at 2005-03-22 17:02:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2004-07-20 18:20:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by NerfHerder (user info) at 2004-07-15 15:40:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2man to the rescue
Submitted by negative2man. (user info) at 2004-07-15 11:38:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by MickGinny (user info) at 2004-07-15 09:30:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i wont comment on the politics.
however, the dude abides.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2004-07-13 09:47:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Do you mean DeForest B. Soaries Jr, prominent Republican and pastor of a 7,000 member conservative Baptist church? Oh yes I'm sure that he has the best interest of the democratic process in mind and no ulterior motive at all. Instantly I trust him with my very life.
and by that I mean that I trust him no further than I can throw my own Jeep
But you are right about one thing, calling Bush a retard is an insult to retards. Most retards I know are actually sweet and gentle people who mean no harm to anyone. What I meant to call him was treasonous coke head bastard who is a shinning example of why the concept of royalty is un-American. Is that better?
As for you pretending that Kerry, should he win, is not your President, well that all depends. Are we talking about him winning an open and free election or are we talking about him winning through election fraud and political pandering?
Submitted by Stabkill (user info) at 2004-07-13 05:12:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Oh by the way, Loki:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,125454,00.html
Oh...if you are one of those people who somehow think foxnews is the devil, then here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5426179
Of course Fox news has a whole article on what Condi Rice said, and on MSNBC is it just a brief paragraph in the middle of an article.
DeForest B. Soaries Jr., chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, is the one looking at postponement plans.
Submitted by Manfre (user info) at 2004-07-12 20:02:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
The real reason they plan to put the election off, is cause itll look really good when they put off the election, and Bush suddenly "finds" Bin Laden. Thats just my theory though.
Im not positive of all the colors or what they mean, but I do know that when were in Fuschia Pink, we need to keep an eye out for Muslim homosexuals.
Submitted by Stabkill (user info) at 2004-07-12 18:06:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Loki, you need to take some medication to relax. (And this is ME telling someone this?)
Calling the President of the United States names solves nothing.
Once you start doing that, then I can simply lump you in with the rest of the "idiot liberal morons" of the USA.
If one refers to the President of The United States in such terms, they really have no place debating politics seriously. They can be put in the same group as Al Franken and Micheal Moore are in. (Al Franken can LIE in printed letters to Ashcroft and face no penalty, however, showing there are some serious hypocritical issues somewhere in his philosophy).
Please do better than that for yourself and your country. On ubersite, I guess you can do whatever the fuck you want. But from your tone, I am guessing you act this way in real life. What are you going to do when your favorite democrat lets you down? Forgive him? Turn the other cheek? Are you going to criticize him as much as Bush? That is doubtful at best.
The fact that these modern (liberal) democrats bash away at everything Bush does and link everything to him somehow is amazing. I hope the trend continues so they understand what they have started is not a good.
So I am fully right to display my "Kerry: Not my president" bumper sticker on my car after he wins.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2004-07-12 17:05:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You mean this is an exploratory memo kind of like the one where they decided that it was ok to torture Iraqis? Somehow we made it through two world wars, earthquakes, fires, god only knows what all and still fulfilled our Constitutional Duty to hold an open and free election ON the first Tuesday of November. Fuckbeans, why don't we skip all this bullshit pulling of the levers and declare that retard Czar. Don't think for a hot second that I'm kidding about rioting especially when "terror attack" means "slipping in the polls". Hell, it's my duty as an American to riot in the face of a hostile force attempting to take over the government.
Submitted by Stabkill (user info) at 2004-07-12 16:52:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I know someone would assume the "postponing of elections" thing would be turned into "Bush is going to stop elections because he is now the dictator of America."
If there was a terrorist attack on the day before the election, or the day of the election alot of people would not be able to vote. It would be mass chaos. They didn't say "THE ELECTION IS GETTING POSTPONED." They were saying different options should be looked at.
Of course, one can either say "That's a smart idea." or what you have, loki.
Or else, nothing could be done and then an attack happens on election morning at 3-4 polling stations simultaneously. Then you are the one posting "Why didn't the government plan something for this?"
I hope liberalism can be a curable disease, but I doubt that.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2004-07-12 16:00:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
If they pull this latest stunt off and actually succeed in postponing the election, I swear by all that's holy I'm taking to the streets and starting a riot.
Submitted by Quasiplasmohedron (user info) at 2004-07-12 15:14:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Ningún comentario
Submitted by Anansie (user info) at 2004-07-12 15:03:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Death_Metal_Dude (user info) at 2004-07-12 15:00:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
"Yeah, the Department of Homeland Security is sort of stupid. But don't blame Tom Ridge or even UU. The DHS is the result of everyone crying, "why wasn't something done before-hand, why didn't The Government prevent this?" after 9/11. So, in an effort to show that they are "doing something" to prevent another attack, we get the DHS. Blame the people who would actually vote against the administration if they didn't "do something" for yet another redundant and pointless beurocratic monstrosity. Power to the people, and all that."
Bull shit. The dumb cunts in office are plainly to blame. When they were criticized for lack of preparation (or whatever, I'm not arguing that point), Ridge is the dumbass who came up with this 2 for 1 deal of quieting criticism (only dumb people actually believed that this was a good idea) while at the same time creating a real-time fear-invoker for use in their imminent march to war. It is the duty of the people to criticize the government as they see fit, and the government's reaction is its own responsibility, and its own liability.
Submitted by William_Q_Percy (user info) at 2004-07-12 14:26:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by Mac (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:40:40 (#)
Ranking: 0
Wow, you and your friends look a lot like the cast of big lebowski. I honestly couldn't tell if that was Will Zone or John Goodman. The similarities are astounding.
Submitted by runninginplace (user info) at 2004-07-12 14:16:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by vodka7tall (user info) at 2004-07-12 13:33:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by reallybored (user info) at 2004-07-12 13:20:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Thank you Stabkill for numbers. I pulled the numbers off this site http://www.anotherperspective.org/advoc530.html, which supposedly pulled them off the National Safety Council site.
Either way it doesnt matter. The same thing holds true. Your chances of dying in a terrorist attack are about the same as kristen and phoenix driving to my house and performing a 69 in front of me while i furiously masturbate with scented oils from west madagascar.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2004-07-12 13:17:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Well, if all else fails, they can change the meaning of the word "terror" in order to prove that their methods are having a positive effect. I know, they can call it "Pattern of Global Terrorism".
Submitted by sharpie (user info) at 2004-07-12 13:11:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
yeah.
+2
-adam
Submitted by bignasty (user info) at 2004-07-12 12:40:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
+1 to you
+2 to Stabkill
Submitted by lucid (user info) at 2004-07-12 12:06:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I find it very intriguing that the day after Kerry and Edwards started their campaign the terror level was elevated and Ridge was on all of our television screens don't you?
Get used to this tactic as it's the easiest way for our War mongering president to conduct his campaign. First instill fear in the public and then confidence that you, and you alone can keep them safe.
There will come a point in time when Bush mentions all of these elevated terror levels along with evidence showing the he and his appointed homeland security puppets thwarted hundreds of terrorist attacks and it will all be complete bullshit.
While it's true that we have to protect our country, it is not true that we must cower in our basements and live miserable lives just so a certain political party can remain in office and rape the planet for profit.
Submitted by Stabkill (user info) at 2004-07-12 11:48:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I would hate to live in YOUR America:
3,500 per year dead of terrorist attacks.
5,063 per year dead of lightning strikes.
26,807 per year dead from falling in the bathtub.
27,972 per year dead from falling off a ladder.
WOW. I guess there has been a spike since 2001!! (Facts below)
# 1: Heart Disease = 610,638
# 2: Malignant Neoplasms (Cancer)= 479,651
# 3: Cerebrovascular Disease (Heart Attack) = 140,465
# 4: Cronic Lower Respiratory Diseases (Pnemonia)= 113,819
# 5: Accidents = 85,964
# 6: Diabetes = 57,180
# 7: Influenza = 54,774
# 8: Alzheimers = 50,348
# 9: Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, etc (Kidney Disease)= 31,345
#10: Suicide = 27,710
#11: Septicemia = 25,806
#12: Liver disease = 23,408
#13: Murder = 11,328
#14: HIV = 6,171
I'll update your numbers to be accurate:
1 in 4,179,000 Lightning Strikes (only 44 died in 2003 but the average is 67)
1 in 67,081 Tub/Shower Accident (estimated per year)
1 in 933,000 Ladder Accidents (estimated per year)
Now terrorism...that is tricky.
2003, 2002 = 0 people killed in the USA by terrorist action (murder is not terrorism)
2001 Terrorist actions killed 2,978 people (including anthrax attack).
1999 = 1 person killed
1998 = 3 people killed
1997 = 0
1996 = 168 (Oklahoma bombing)
So every year is different from the rest.
So ... let's just add them up and make an average of 315 per year since 1993.
1 in 888,888 died due to terrorism over the last 10 years.
Numbers...Very interesting and can easily be played with. Just like the anti-gun people say 29,000+ people died due to guns. They seem to forget the fact that 18,000 of them took their own lives. Fake inflation of numbers to their advantage. Those people killed themselves, and they'll claim that without the gun they wouldn't have. Oh well. Screw them 18,000.
Your post is right, though in your logic. What a waste of money. Toss in AIDS research, any research, too. 6,171 dead in 1 year and how many millions wasted? Give me a break...
Submitted by boomslang (user info) at 2004-07-12 11:44:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I think the idea is that people involved in security,
federal, state and local policing, have a heightened awareness,
patrol more areas, have more people on duty.
You as a civilian are supposed to "call 911" if you see anything suspicious.
Submitted by Tom (user info) at 2004-07-12 11:22:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This point is so good my face nearly fell off.
Submitted by itchy (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:54:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yeah, the Department of Homeland Security is sort of stupid. But don't blame Tom Ridge or even UU. The DHS is the result of everyone crying, "why wasn't something done before-hand, why didn't The Government prevent this?" after 9/11. So, in an effort to show that they are "doing something" to prevent another attack, we get the DHS. Blame the people who would actually vote against the administration if they didn't "do something" for yet another redundant and pointless beurocratic monstrosity. Power to the people, and all that.
What I think is interesting is how they shelved the idea of a "terror futures" market. If you aren't familiar with it, it would have worked like a typical futures (comodities) market, but you could invest money to say that there would be an attack on the anniversary of 9/11 or whatever. The futures markets have traditionally been VERY effective in predicting what is going to happen in real life. The idea was killed though because too many people thought it was in "bad taste." Well, there ya go. Get rid of the idea that might actually work, and keep the color coding system that doesn't. Go Government WOOO!
Submitted by geofroley (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:49:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 for the pic from The Big Lebowski.
Submitted by riggyrow (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:45:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
The Dude abides...
Submitted by reallybored (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:41:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Better yet, let 3M handle the color codes. This way, when duct tape sales taper off, they can elevate the scale to orange and scare people into wrapping their houses in duct tape.
---------------------------------
Thats pretty fucking funny.
Originally this post was just going to rag on the HSAS (WTF!!!LOL!!1) but then i somehow got linked to a death stats page and i rolled with that tangent.
Submitted by Mac (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:40:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Wow, you and your friends look a lot like the cast of big lebowski. I honestly couldn't tell if that was Will Zone or John Goodman. The similarities are astounding.
Submitted by Scotsman (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:39:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
The UK lived under a terrorist threat for 30 years with the IRA. All we were ever told was look out for suspicious packages etc. Yep it gets pretty tame after a while as well. I think the actual point in the colour rating is more for the military and the emergency services because at the end of the day there is sweet fuck all that the general public can do.
Submitted by sunjunkie04 (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:38:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I wonder what the Dude thinks about this subject. Aw well, hes probably looking for his rug.
Submitted by SAECULUM.AUREUM (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:38:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
We must all fear the terror...
fear the terror...
give yourself over to uncle sam and he will protect you from the terror
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:37:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
As much as I like Tom Ridge (he was an excellent governor in PA), The Department of Homeland Security is an absolute waste of our tax dollars.
Couldn't we just task out the color rating thing to CNN? CNN probably has better intelligence gathering capabilities than any of our men-in-black-type organizations do. Better yet, let 3M handle the color codes. This way, when duct tape sales taper off, they can elevate the scale to orange and scare people into wrapping their houses in duct tape.
Submitted by Fuxtick (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:37:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Typos in the last paragraph are ok. Typos in the title (homelande) are not. Neither is spelling died wrong, implying that all the people in the WTC were changed to a different color. Good point though. What the fuck ARE we supposed to do? Bust out our heat seeking missiles when we see terrorists flying planes?
Submitted by spedmonkey (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:31:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 for The Big Lebowski
Submitted by Degreeless_Capibara (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:31:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Normally I don't read your political posts because they're long, but this one I read and I'm glad someone finally pointed this out. How the hell is this supposed to help again? Oh right, to incur fear into the hearts of the American citizens so they'll be afraid of change and fear that transitioning to Kerry will be the fall of this great country.
What?
Submitted by reallybored (user info) at 2004-07-12 10:28:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
typo in the title and the last paragraph. my bad.