Does anyone else out there think that the Homeland Security Advisory System makes no sense? That the high end fosters paranoia and the low end complacency? That maybe some would-be terrorists will choose to carry out attacks long after the “chatter” dies down, so that they can strike us when we least expect it? Or when we are supposedly at our highest state of alert, to make a point? And that maybe this whole system just confuses the public (not to mention local law enforcement)?

In any case, this color-coded thing is just silly:

I think our country’s approach to prevention of terrorism is woefully inadequate, paranoia-inspiring, and just plain nuts. The world is going to be terribly impressed, should all our antics and semi-obsessive (and semi-nonexistent) security measures fail to accomplish anything, in terms of making America and Americans safer. Sigh…

Meanwhile, all the graduate school applications are ready to be mailed, first thing in the morning, as are all of my (late) Christmas cards. That will be a relief.

One side note: all of the Blockbuster Video franchises in Fayette County, GA, are out of rental copies of the first two Lord of the Rings movies. Not surprising, since the one closest to my home has only eight VHS copies of the Fellowship of the Ring and two of the Two Towers. Not a good way to run a business…

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 21st, 2003 at 9:15 pm and is filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.