American preparedness

ColinDavies

Now that the threat level has been raised to high[^]. I was wondering what effect this has on the average americans lives. Have any officials advised you what you should do ? Or is this one of those things that other people have to worry about?
On a similar note here in NZ we have to stay prepared for quakes, fixing furniture and fastening stuff etc, in preparedness of the big one. However it's amazing how few people have not even got a basic survival kit. Regardz Colin J Davies

Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin

I'm guessing the concept of a 2 hour movie showing two guys eating a meal and talking struck them as 'foreign' Rob Manderson wrote:

Brad Jennings

Hmm, the raise in threat level hasn't really changed my day (in fact I wasn't even aware of it until this post). In fact, I have yet to notice any change in my neighborhood. Nobody I know really seems to care. Of course I live in Nowhere, USA so there isn't much chance that my town will be getting attacked. I think the only thing that changes is the security level at airlines, stadiums, government buildings, and the like. And of course government and military alertness goes up. Brad Jennings "if the golden arches shut shop, where else are the VB people going to get work." - Colin Davies

ColinDavies

Brad Jennings wrote: Of course I live in Nowhere, USA I guess most people think that is where they live. Regardz Colin J Davies

Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin

I'm guessing the concept of a 2 hour movie showing two guys eating a meal and talking struck them as 'foreign' Rob Manderson wrote:

Michael A Barnhart

Colin Davies wrote: However it's amazing how few people have not even got a basic survival kit. Yes, despite what some may wish we really are not all the different no matter where we live. Everyone thinks they can wait until the last minute and then go down to the corner grocer (or what ever) for supplies. Colin Davies wrote: Have any officials advised you what you should do ? In short, Yes. "I will find a new sig someday."

peterchen

Colin Davies wrote: Or is this one of those things that other people have to worry about? :-D good one!

If you look for evil in me, you will find it. Whether it's there or not. [sighist] | [Agile Programming] [doxygen]

Rohit Sinha

I think that while it is necessary to take every possible precaution to thwart off any possible attack by the terrorists, the authorities must also ensure that the life of an average citizen is affected by the minimum possibe amount. Otherwise the terrorists will have succeeded in what they want to do - spread terror. And any nation cannot afford to let the terrorists think they are afraid of their threats and catcalls. Chase them out of every corner and poison their ratholes, I say! The problem of terrorism is getting more and more serious in India too. Just a couple of days back the police arrested two activists of a separatist organisation in Jammu & Kashmir who later confessed that the Deputy High Commissioner of the Pakistani embassy in India had been funding them. He and four others have been asked to leave India within 48 hours[^]. The sad thing is that some of our own countrymen are doing it for money, and make it hard to find out and prevent things before they happen. :( Not to mention the government and its burocratic eyes, ears, arms, legs and brain. Bah. :mad:
Regards,

Rohit Sinha

Character is like a tree, and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
- Abraham Lincoln

The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going.
- Anonymous

peterchen

And in long? ;)

If you look for evil in me, you will find it. Whether it's there or not. [sighist] | [Agile Programming] [doxygen]

Mike Gaskey

Colin, here is an example of the local impact, from the local Indianapolis newspaper. http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/2/021198-7202-092.html[^] Mike

Roger Wright

Colin Davies wrote: what effect this has on the average americans lives. Around here, absolutely none. We still have the problems created by government edict right after 9/11/01 to deal with, and they are serious, but nothing new has surfaced. Colin Davies wrote: Have any officials advised you what you should do ? They don't know what to do. The primary risk here is of an attack on the dams along the Colorado River and, though government officials have published a map of safe ground and escape routes to reach it, there is no possibility that more than a few percent of the population will be able to get to safety in the event of an attack. There are only three roads leading to the higher areas, and these are not located in the town, but at opposite ends of the main population center. Most people don't take the threat seriously. Bullhead City and the surrounding desert are insignificant, it's true. But most don't stop to think about the fact that the river is the primary source of a couple of vital resources for a large area. No need to mention the specifics here, but the impact would not be minor. Fortunately, because of the dams' construction, you could crash a couple of 747's loaded with C4 into each of them with little damage. But even terrorists sometimes get lucky... The usual precautions still apply; I've been used to them because of my work background, but they're new to most people, and the majority would rather just not think about it. Be alert to suspicious behaviors and people, report unattended packages in public places, keep supplies on hand sufficient to last several days without outside assistance, etc. The last is difficult, because the medical supplies necessary to survive after a major disaster are illegal for us to buy. Overall, I don't see much of anything that officials can do or say to help matters - we're vulnerable as can be, there's nothing anyone can do to change that, but we're also not likely to be considered a useful target. I'd be a lot more concerned if I was living in Las Vegas; there's a target that's attractive, especially to a religious fanatic! Nobody wants to read a diary by someone who has not seen the shadow of Bubba on the prison shower wall in front of them!
Paul Watson, on BLOGS and privacy - 1/16/2003

Michael A Barnhart

peterchen wrote: And in long? Somethings are left best unsaid.:-D "I will find a new sig someday."

brianwelsch

It was a stupid system developed in response to the World Trade Center attack. "Look, we have this rediculously simple way of alerting the whole country how confident we are at guessing there might be an attack. Aren't we on the ball?" Personally, I believe alert level went up to help Bush push his agenda, by showing us we are in danger. BW "Gandalf. Yes. That is what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. *I* am Gandalf the White." - Gandalf the White

peterchen

your choice beats my curiosity ;)

If you look for evil in me, you will find it. Whether it's there or not. [sighist] | [Agile Programming] [doxygen]

ColinDavies

Mike Gaskey wrote: here is an example of the local impact, Thanks Regardz Colin J Davies

Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin

I'm guessing the concept of a 2 hour movie showing two guys eating a meal and talking struck them as 'foreign' Rob Manderson wrote:

ColinDavies

Roger Wright wrote: Fortunately, because of the dams' construction, you could crash a couple of 747's loaded with C4 into each of them with little damage. But even terrorists sometimes get lucky... But as an engineer yourself I think you realise that there are other ways to sabatage a Hydro Dam. I'm beginning to think that if the terrorists were to attack "No place important USA" now it would have a greater effect of spreading terror than by atacking landmarks. Regardz Colin J Davies

Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin

I'm guessing the concept of a 2 hour movie showing two guys eating a meal and talking struck them as 'foreign' Rob Manderson wrote:

Roger Wright

Colin Davies wrote: there are other ways to sabatage a Hydro Dam. Certainly there are. But I ain't tellin'. Colin Davies wrote: if the terrorists were to attack "No place important USA" now it would have a greater effect of spreading terror than by atacking landmarks. Probably not. Terror is a very specific thing; publicity and notoriety are critical. An attack on an undefended piece of worthless sand with few people living on it has very little terror appeal. Attacking a well-defended, major landmark has much greater impact politically. For a real enemy, in a sincere effort to take over there are far better places to target than the obvious ones. I know of at least one important resource which, because of distribution limitations, is so vulnerable that a single hand grenade could remove fully 1/2 of it from circulation. The location is obscure, there's no landmark around, and you'd never find it on a map. It was the subject of an important book published about 15 years ago, and the book got so little attention that I have no reason to believe anything has changed because of it. No doubt there are similar chokepoints all over the US, because we have never had any reason to feel vulnerable. That mindset has affected all our planning; hopefully that's changing in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. We are no longer an unassailable island, and it's time we stopped behaving like one. Nobody wants to read a diary by someone who has not seen the shadow of Bubba on the prison shower wall in front of them!
Paul Watson, on BLOGS and privacy - 1/16/2003