NationStates Jolt Archive

When was the last time we had a terror alert in the US? When the magic protective color bar was raised to puce or viridian or whatever the hell color is second from the top? I remember last year in the run up to the elections that it felt like one of those alerts was coming every other week, but now that I think about it, that's the last time I remember seeing one.

Why is that? Because I sure don't feel any more protected than I did then. Sure, the elections had something to do with it--makes more sense for a terrorist group to attack during an election season--but for this kind of drop off? From every month to nothing for a year? Has it been that long? My memory could be faulty, and I'd be glad to concede if someone reminds me of one I'm missing.

P.S. Yes, I am cynical about why we had so many before and none now, but I'm holding off on that for the moment.

You know why. It is common knowledge that making the people scared almost always helps the one in power.

You know why. It is common knowledge that making the people scared almost always helps the one in power.Yeah, but before I make that charge, I want to be sure my memory isn't playing tricks on me.

Oh my Brad, no more terror?! Yay, we're saved! Oh, wait... nothing's changed.

The coloured bar was a joke, and a horrid one at that. A truly unconscionable thing for a government to perpetrate on its citizens.

The terrorists were each visited by three ghosts during the night and decided to stop being a threat to America.

The terrorists were each visited by three ghosts during the night and decided to stop being a threat to America.

You win this thread. Congratulations!

When was the last time we had a terror alert in the US?

Why is that? Because I sure don't feel any more protected than I did then.
I can understand why you might be rather cynical about this. Surprisingly enough, I am too, although proabably not to the same degree.

I don't know when the last one was, but giving the people who actually perform the intel and counterintel the benefit of the doubt, there could be three perfectly valid reasons for the recent dearth of alerts:

1. The intel and spec ops personnel are doing a better job.

2. The terrorists are all fighting in Iraq, or other hot spots around the world.

3. They're just biding their time while they plan some major attack.

Of the three, I suspect the last option is the most likely.

3. They're just biding their time while they plan some major attack.

Well ... 9/11 was a decade in the making. Who knows what's a'comin? Best to get the party started early.

I can understand why you might be rather cynical about this. Surprisingly enough, I am too, although proabably not to the same degree.

I don't know when the last one was, but giving the people who actually perform the intel and counterintel the benefit of the doubt, there could be three perfectly valid reasons for the recent dearth of alerts:

1. The intel and spec ops personnel are doing a better job.

2. The terrorists are all fighting in Iraq, or other hot spots around the world.

3. They're just biding their time while they plan some major attack.

Of the three, I suspect the last option is the most likely.

My life would be somewhat more exciting to be that paranoid like you...however I'm not going to sit at home at the computer all day everyday, arguing on online forums for the rest of my life like you either.

Maybe before you go blaming the terrorists for everything, you should take a look at why they're pissed off at us in the first place. That means you'll actually have to read up on history :( .

Maybe before you go blaming the terrorists for everything, you should take a look at why they're pissed off at us in the first place.

We ate the last slice of pizza.

I can understand why you might be rather cynical about this. Surprisingly enough, I am too, although proabably not to the same degree.

I don't know when the last one was, but giving the people who actually perform the intel and counterintel the benefit of the doubt, there could be three perfectly valid reasons for the recent dearth of alerts:

1. The intel and spec ops personnel are doing a better job.

2. The terrorists are all fighting in Iraq, or other hot spots around the world.

3. They're just biding their time while they plan some major attack.

Of the three, I suspect the last option is the most likely.
I'll readily concede that's possible, although part of my cynicism comes from statements made by former DHS chief Tom Ridge about how the terror alerts last year would be raised with little or no consultation with his office. You know, when Ridge was made DHS Secretary, I was cynical--I think I prejudged him too harshly. He seems to have tried to do the best he could with a bad situation and little backup from the administration, and I was surprsied when, during the elections last year, he noted that some of the terror alerts were a bit questionable.

We ate the last slice of pizza.
ROFLMAO! Yeah! And we wouldn't let them have the Remote (http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/6558/maleremotecontrol0dh.jpg), either! :D

the last terror alert i remember was before the election when they when on elevated alert in NYC financial district on 3 year old intelligence.

they may be biding their time or they may be out of the business but someone else will take up "the cause" and attack us in the future. terrorism isnt going away. its too effective.

When was the last time we had a terror alert in the US? When the magic protective color bar was raised to puce or viridian or whatever the hell color is second from the top? I remember last year in the run up to the elections that it felt like one of those alerts was coming every other week, but now that I think about it, that's the last time I remember seeing one.

Why is that? Because I sure don't feel any more protected than I did then. Sure, the elections had something to do with it--makes more sense for a terrorist group to attack during an election season--but for this kind of drop off? From every month to nothing for a year? Has it been that long? My memory could be faulty, and I'd be glad to concede if someone reminds me of one I'm missing.

P.S. Yes, I am cynical about why we had so many before and none now, but I'm holding off on that for the moment.


it's bush, and his scare tactics. around election time he wanted to scare the people into voting for him again, so he manipulated his little color code.

did anyone watch "the village"? it was a bit disappointing to me, but i thought it was interesting that the leaders of the city used a color code to keep their citizens in constant fear so that the government's power could not be upset... hmmm...

The Department of Terror did finally make these warnings regional. I think the last was in Wisconsin, when the ice was just a little too thin for good fishing.

Either that, or the NYC subway thing a couple months back.

Terrorists don't seem to care much about Georgia. It must be the armed rednecks that we have standing guard.

The Department of Terror did finally make these warnings regional. I think the last was in Wisconsin, when the ice was just a little too thin for good fishing.

Either that, or the NYC subway thing a couple months back.

Terrorists don't seem to care much about Georgia. It must be the armed rednecks that we have standing guard.
the only militia whose uniform is nothing :p . i'd think that may be a quite effective tactic. Just imagine the confusion on the enemy's faces when they see a line of completely naked men charge at them.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the NSA being able to do their jobs without running to the courthouse every time they wanted tap the phone of a suspect?

Of course, wasn't there a high alert right after the London bombings?

And BTW, don't blame the government for "scaring" people with the alert system. They have said REPEATED times that the color system was for local official, police forces, and first responders. NOT for your average citizen.

Who always blows it out of proportion and reapeats it 50 times a day? THE MEDIA.

Who always blows it out of proportion and reapeats it 50 times a day? THE MEDIA.

Yeah ... it really is high time we just repeal that First and Fourth Amendment all together, ain't it? What were those Framers thinking ... Free Speech ... Free Press ... Warrants ... it all gets in the way of snooping around in your sock drawer.

I'll readily concede that's possible, although part of my cynicism comes from statements made by former DHS chief Tom Ridge about how the terror alerts last year would be raised with little or no consultation with his office. You know, when Ridge was made DHS Secretary, I was cynical--I think I prejudged him too harshly. He seems to have tried to do the best he could with a bad situation and little backup from the administration, and I was surprsied when, during the elections last year, he noted that some of the terror alerts were a bit questionable.

Yeah, Ridge is a good guy, but he was given a virtually impossible situation to fix, which he couldn't, because it simply wasn't going to be fixed -- it was a massive bureaucratic blob that no man could ever fix. He ran my state fairly well. :)

And the terrorists are angry at us for:

The crusades
Exporting all the crap we do -- Madonna being one of said "crap."
Having freedom
Having Democracy
not being an Islamic state

THat's pretty much why they hate us.

Exporting all the crap we do -- Madonna being one of said "crap."


I'm actually pretty angry about Madonna (almost said McDonna) myself.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the NSA being able to do their jobs without running to the courthouse every time they wanted tap the phone of a suspect?

Of course, wasn't there a high alert right after the London bombings?

And BTW, don't blame the government for "scaring" people with the alert system. They have said REPEATED times that the color system was for local official, police forces, and first responders. NOT for your average citizen.

Who always blows it out of proportion and reapeats it 50 times a day? THE MEDIA.
so why can't they tell those "local officials, police forces, and first responders" more quietly without announcing it to the public? Oh yeah, because it's soooo much easier to control people once they're scared.

Yeah ... it really is high time we just repeal that First and Fourth Amendment all together, ain't it? What were those Framers thinking ... Free Speech ... Free Press ... Warrants ... it all gets in the way of snooping around in your sock drawer.
Yeah, that's EXACTLY what I said! You should work for CBS. :rolleyes:

Yeah, that's EXACTLY what I said! You should work for CBS. :rolleyes:

Spin can be fun, can't it?

I'm actually pretty angry about Madonna (almost said McDonna) myself.

Well, she never could sing, and let's face it -- if you're Osama and you see Britney and Madonna sticking their tongues down each other's throats, wouldn't you be angry? I know if I was Osama I wouldn't want people seeing that.

Spin can be fun, can't it?

Spin is fun! :D

Yeah, Ridge is a good guy, but he was given a virtually impossible situation to fix, which he couldn't, because it simply wasn't going to be fixed -- it was a massive bureaucratic blob that no man could ever fix. He ran my state fairly well. :)

And the terrorists are angry at us for:

The crusades
Exporting all the crap we do -- Madonna being one of said "crap."
Having freedom
Having Democracy
not being an Islamic state

THat's pretty much why they hate us.
Actually, they don't really mention the crusades too much. I think the real shit started with in Lebanon in the 70's. Of course, we didn't do exactly what we should have over there, I suppose.

But here's the deal. Those 3000 people in the planes, the Towers, and the Pentagon didn't do it. Niether did the hostages in Saudi Arabia, or the Saliors on the USS Cole, or the people in the Towers in 91, or Nick Berg, or any of the Aid workers who have been kidnapped and killed, or the reporters who have been kidnapped and killed.

So yeah, we have done some bad things in our history, and even I am ashamed of some of them. But they took it to the next level, which is why, when people bitch and complain about us waterboarding someone, or making naked pyramids, I just feel the same sympathy that I would have if they'd just tried attacking the CIA, or the FBI, instead of killing innocent people.

Spin can be fun, can't it?
Except for the fact that it ruins your credibility, and makes you look like a liar? Yeah, it's a riot.

It's funny that people who talk shit about Bush for being a liar and a spin miester, will then use the exact same tactics to try to discredit him and his supporters.

http://static.flickr.com/26/59153397_d56f2cbc85_o.jpg

Actually, they don't really mention the crusades too much. I think the real shit started with in Lebanon in the 70's. Of course, we didn't do exactly what we should have over there, I suppose.

Nod ... that's about where I place it. We don't bemoan the Crusades because, well ... we won! Would be silly to bemoan a victory.

Lebanon in the 70s is a good place to start.

But here's the deal. Those 3000 people in the planes, the Towers, and the Pentagon didn't do it. Niether did the hostages in Saudi Arabia, or the Saliors on the USS Cole, or the people in the Towers in 91, or Nick Berg, or any of the Aid workers who have been kidnapped and killed, or the reporters who have been kidnapped and killed.

'Sactly

So yeah, we have done some bad things in our history, and even I am ashamed of some of them. But they took it to the next level, which is why, when people bitch and complain about us waterboarding someone, or making naked pyramids, I just feel the same sympathy that I would have if they'd just tried attacking the CIA, or the FBI, instead of killing innocent people.

But I don't think we should stoop to their level. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Except for the fact that it ruins your credibility, and makes you look like a liar? Yeah, it's a riot.

It's funny that people who talk shit about Bush for being a liar and a spin miester, will then use the exact same tactics to try to discredit him and his supporters.


Wow ... conservatives really have no sense of humor ...

Lighten up, man ... it's Festivus!

the only militia whose uniform is nothing :p . i'd think that may be a quite effective tactic. Just imagine the confusion on the enemy's faces when they see a line of completely naked men charge at them.
Isn't that how the Spartans fought?

Wow ... conservatives really have no sense of humor ...

Lighten up, man ... it's Festivus!
SORRY. *hangs head*

Happy Festivus! (what's Festivus?)

SORRY. *hangs head*

Happy Festivus! (what's Festivus?)

Not a Seinfeld fan? That's ok ... nobody's perfect.

Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus

It's a Festivus for the rest of us!

Not a Seinfeld fan? That's ok ... nobody's perfect.

Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus

It's a Festivus for the rest of us!
Actually, I think Seinfeld is HIGHLY over-rated. I'm more of a Family Guy/Southpark kinda guy.

But to each their own.

HAPPY FESTIVUS, My friend.

Yeah, Ridge is a good guy, but he was given a virtually impossible situation to fix, which he couldn't, because it simply wasn't going to be fixed -- it was a massive bureaucratic blob that no man could ever fix. He ran my state fairly well. :)

And the terrorists are angry at us for:

The crusades
Exporting all the crap we do -- Madonna being one of said "crap."
Having freedom
Having Democracy
not being an Islamic state

THat's pretty much why they hate us.
HEY
god bless madonna

she moved to the UK in good time to have them decide to hit them instead of us.

she is keeping us safe, dammit

When was the last time we had a terror alert in the US? When the magic protective color bar was raised to puce or viridian or whatever the hell color is second from the top? I remember last year in the run up to the elections that it felt like one of those alerts was coming every other week, but now that I think about it, that's the last time I remember seeing one.

Why is that? Because I sure don't feel any more protected than I did then. Sure, the elections had something to do with it--makes more sense for a terrorist group to attack during an election season--but for this kind of drop off? From every month to nothing for a year? Has it been that long? My memory could be faulty, and I'd be glad to concede if someone reminds me of one I'm missing.

P.S. Yes, I am cynical about why we had so many before and none now, but I'm holding off on that for the moment.

because it took 10 years to plan 9-11. We have a while before the next one. And yes those alerts do seem to coencide with some intersting events...

Actually, they don't really mention the crusades too much. I think the real shit started with in Lebanon in the 70's. Of course, we didn't do exactly what we should have over there, I suppose.

But here's the deal. Those 3000 people in the planes, the Towers, and the Pentagon didn't do it. Niether did the hostages in Saudi Arabia, or the Saliors on the USS Cole, or the people in the Towers in 91, or Nick Berg, or any of the Aid workers who have been kidnapped and killed, or the reporters who have been kidnapped and killed.

So yeah, we have done some bad things in our history, and even I am ashamed of some of them. But they took it to the next level, which is why, when people bitch and complain about us waterboarding someone, or making naked pyramids, I just feel the same sympathy that I would have if they'd just tried attacking the CIA, or the FBI, instead of killing innocent people.

Yes, and iraqi women and children weren't oppressing iraq, or developing weapons of mass destruction.

Don't get me wrong, I know that america doesn't go around slaughtering innocents. I'm just bringing you to the other side's crappy flip-flops. We are trying to accomplish a goal in iraq(not even going to try to guess what, as most guesses are bs), and innocent's die along the way.

The terrorists are attacking america every way they can. They cannot defeat us militarially, so they go after our citizens. But they aren't trying to slaughter all the americans.

They could have flown into the towers later in the day, when tens of thousands of more people would have died. They didn't. They aren't just trying to kill as many american innocents as they can. They are trying to hurt us, symbolically and economically.

I don't support their cause, but I don't agree that they are inhuman, etc. They are fighting for their cause, as misguided as it is, the best way they can. Just because they are our enemies, it doesn't mean we have to see them as monsters. That's been done in all of war in history. Most of it wasn't true. People just get whipped up into a frenzy, and want to win the war, not even caring about the truth.

I hate the terrorists. I hate them because they hurt americans, they hurt me indirectly, and they fight for a religious goal. But I don't hate the individual terrorists. I hate what they do, and what they stand for.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the NSA being able to do their jobs without running to the courthouse every time they wanted tap the phone of a suspect?

Of course, wasn't there a high alert right after the London bombings?

And BTW, don't blame the government for "scaring" people with the alert system. They have said REPEATED times that the color system was for local official, police forces, and first responders. NOT for your average citizen.

Who always blows it out of proportion and reapeats it 50 times a day? THE MEDIA.
I'll bet you $5 US it doesn't. :p

Oh, is that why various police forces, including the NYPD, publicly announced that it was completely useless and they would ignore it?

Except for the fact that it ruins your credibility, and makes you look like a liar? Yeah, it's a riot.

It's funny that people who talk shit about Bush for being a liar and a spin miester, will then use the exact same tactics to try to discredit him and his supporters.

http://static.flickr.com/26/59153397_d56f2cbc85_o.jpg
You're the expert on self-serving arguments, I guess. :D

Actually, sometimes (rarely), I kinda miss the Rainbow of Dread. I was just on the verge of lobbying to make Scott McClellan show up at press briefings wearing a tie to match the given day's color. And then they went and killed the stupid, useless thing.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the NSA being able to do their jobs without running to the courthouse every time they wanted tap the phone of a suspect?

Of course, wasn't there a high alert right after the London bombings?

And BTW, don't blame the government for "scaring" people with the alert system. They have said REPEATED times that the color system was for local official, police forces, and first responders. NOT for your average citizen.

Who always blows it out of proportion and reapeats it 50 times a day? THE MEDIA.

1. Why would every official, police officer and first responder in the entire country have to be alerted? If you have evidence to suspect an attack is comming, you will most likely have an idea of the area the attack is going to be in.

2. Instead of using some sort of alert, they could just spread the message in memo's that would not draw so much attention from people "it wasn't ment for". If a journalist finds out the government has raised some sort of nationwide alert he is bound to write about it.

3. This brings us to our next point: do you really think that any politician that is still in the game doesn't know how the media will respond to government actions? In this case, if it was indeed his intention, it was easy to 'use' the media to do his bidding.

4. From point 1 follows that the alert itself is useless. It is ment to increase the security against the suspected attacks, but by making it nationwide, most wont even respond to it. If you say something more specific like 'we suspect an attack is being planned in new york' (and only say these to the ones in new york), officials and officers in new york will normally respond to it. Add to this the boy-who-cried-wolf-effect: Every time an official or officer receives a fake alert, he will be less inclined to respond to the next alert. This can only be countered by decreasing the amount of alerts they receive - by only sending a message to a small area instead of the entire country - and to stress the likelyhood that he will be confronted by it - again, only tell him something when the attack is going to be in his area.

I can understand why you might be rather cynical about this. Surprisingly enough, I am too, although proabably not to the same degree.

I don't know when the last one was, but giving the people who actually perform the intel and counterintel the benefit of the doubt, there could be three perfectly valid reasons for the recent dearth of alerts:

1. The intel and spec ops personnel are doing a better job.

2. The terrorists are all fighting in Iraq, or other hot spots around the world.

3. They're just biding their time while they plan some major attack.

Of the three, I suspect the last option is the most likely.


Given that just about any actual radical islamic terrorist certainly wants to do anything they can to harm our way of life, dont you find it a little strange that you are more likely to be bitten by a posionous snake, or get struck by lightning, than be the victim of a terrorist attack?

Knowing this, do you find it a little odd that we place so much attention to the color-coded terrorist chart?

Interesting fact: if you watch Fox News, which I don't advise, the show the general warning level down on the ticker every now and then.

Yeah, Ridge is a good guy, but he was given a virtually impossible situation to fix, which he couldn't, because it simply wasn't going to be fixed -- it was a massive bureaucratic blob that no man could ever fix. He ran my state fairly well. :)

And the terrorists are angry at us for:

The crusades
Exporting all the crap we do -- Madonna being one of said "crap."
Having freedom
Having Democracy
not being an Islamic state

THat's pretty much why they hate us.

I thought it was because the US sent troops into the holy land of Saudi Arabia and defiled it, to protect it from Saddam in '91... Or at least i thought that was the Osama reason...

Interesting fact: if you watch Fox News, which I don't advise, the show the general warning level down on the ticker every now and then.
only on FOX. Big Brother's mouthpiece telling us when to be scared and when to be more scared.