Terror threat levels, or, the politics of fear.
It seems terribly convenient to me that just after a major parties political convention, a increase in the terror threat level is required. Once again some nebulous, unknowable, unspecified, “highly credible” intelligence(?) has caused the director of “Homeland Defence” to rachet up the “Terror Level” to one notch under the maximum. Once again we are told to be alert, without specifying what to be alert to.
It would appear that the one reason for doing this is to raise the parinoia to new levels and cause an increased presence of police on our streets. In my opinion, this entire excersize would be laughable were it not of the increased cost, and fear generated by it. For the vast majority of the public has been given no idea how to react to these on going threats.
It is necessary that our security people respond to precieved threats from abroad, or at home. But, the political theater associated with “Terror Threat Levels” seems contraproductive to me. The whole process is beginning to resemble “crying wolf”, eventually no one will pay attention to it.
Perhaps it could be argued that this whole subject of “terroristic threats” is yet another effort to derail any serious consideration of the real issues involved in the 2004 election. It appears to me that this system could easily be used to cause people to be fearful and therefore support the status quo instead of considering alternative approaches to our current problems.
It proved to be prolific, that in 2004, our unelected (at least by the people) unpopular president was once again elected. In 2006, the Republicans were soundly rebuked by the electorate, but by 2008 it is apparent that noting really changed.
All of this plays out in light of the obvious incompetence demonstrated by the Department of Homeland Security during the New Orleans debacle.
Feb 19, 2008