Homeland Security Considers Alternatives to Color-Coded Warnings

[chlamor]

DHS Considers Alternatives To Color-Coded Warnings

By John Mintz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 10, 2005; A06

Responding to widespread criticism, Department of Homeland Security officials are considering changes to the color-coded terrorism warning system and other methods of providing more useful information to the public without causing panic or disclosing closely held intelligence.

Among the possibilities forwarded to Secretary Michael Chertoff are issuing lower-key alerts on the department's Web site -- as the State Department does now with travel advisories -- rather than by holding news conferences, and changing the color categories to numbers or letters, current and former officials said.

Other options raised by some top Homeland Security officials who have studied the issue include conducting periodic polls and focus groups to better understand how people react to warnings, they said.

Also, the department may launch a years-long public education campaign, including television documentaries and participation in made-for-TV movies, officials said. The idea would be to help Americans understand the difference between various types of terrorist attacks, and explain the typically fragmentary nature of the government's intelligence about where and how they may be carried out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/09/AR2005050901128_pf.html

[whistle]

1. How about horn bast volume settings

green ...no sound
blue.....low drone
amber....short elevated medium blasts periodically over the low drone
orange...long elevated loud blasts at regular intervals
red......non-stop pulsating very loud blasts

That should get the country into a frenzy and even if no attack is eminent, it will ensure that Americans without ear plugs will be slaughtering one another.

[displacedtexan]

2. How much did we pay Ridge-O-The-Clown for his color chart?

I assume we'll pay the new Bozos even more to translate the colors into numbers.

Defcon, anyone?

It's a lot scarier concept than crayon colors!
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/defcon.htm

[oneighty]

3. A pile of poop

by any other name still stinks.

Who can/will believe the warnings?

180

[uncle ray]

13. you might be on to something there...

the symbol could be regular shoes for no bullshit threat, a pair of rubbers for low bullshit threat, some knee high rain boots for elevated bullshit threat, and a pair of hip waders for when they are really trying to drown us in the bullshit.

[oneighty]

14. Like aboard the mine sweeper

in Korea years ago. "Change your skivvies" on the plan of the day.

Your warning symbols are great. Oddly the ship I was on was the 'USS Symbol AM 123.

180

[dkofos]

15. Good one

bush supporters are stupid enough to believe that

:evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[kedrys]

4. How about....

Teal, mauve, fuschia, coral, slate, not necessarily in that order?

I'm just sayin'. :P

[grumpy old fart]

5. Yet another HUGE waste of money, with no Congressional oversight

Can you say, PORK?

[dkofos]

16. Pork hell

The fucking Fascist PIGS are feeding at the trough

:mad: :mad:

[Lerkfish]

6. Don't miss the more important part:

Also, the department may launch a years-long public education campaign, including television documentaries and participation in made-for-TV movies, officials said. The idea would be to help Americans understand the difference between various types of terrorist attacks, and explain the typically fragmentary nature of the government's intelligence about where and how they may be carried out.


soooo....how vast is the propaganda wing of the new white house? made for tv movies? television documentaries? and the purpose? to explain how we need to be scared, but not to hold the govt responsible for their "fragmentary nature".

[johnaries]

21. Will they tell us what to do with all the plastic sheets & duck tape?

:evilgrin:

[Atman]

7. Icons! That's the ticket.

Let's see...

Maybe and easy chair for "safe."

A Jewish mother for "worry."

A nun with a ruler for "pay attention, this is important!"

An Alien for "Be afraid; be very afraid!"

And finally, in case of imminent attack, a role of Duct Tape.

[athenap]

8. Dammit...just when we found sesame street characters

for every level of warning color, we're going to lose our fear of Elmo level terror.

[grilled onions]

9. how 'bout critter code?

We seem to already have an assortment of them from chimp to poodle to cockroach to cat depending on which of them is "at it" at the moment. But perhaps critters symbolic of the situation...

[Javaman]

10. The new and improved color terror alert system...

Old System

Green = all clear
Blue = clear with issues
Amber = somethings not right
Orange= clearly something is wrong
Red = run like hell


System modified for the patriot act

Green = All is just peachy.

Blue = All is just peachy but keep an eye on your neighbor.

Amber = Still peachy but your neighbor is pissing you off.

Orange= Just merely peachy but kick your neighbor in the nuts to make sure.

Red = no longer peachy, go hunt down your neighbor.


System changed for political reasons...

Green = morons* ratings just rosey.

Blue = morons* falls off segway

Amber = morons* first debate performance

Orange= no WMD's

Red = moron* lied about cause for war

And finally

The homeland security's system...

Green = Justifies reason for HLS dept

Blue = Justifies reason for HLS dept

Amber = Justifies reason for HLS dept

Orange= Justifies reason for HLS dept

Red = Justifies reason for HLS dept

[northstar]

11. They want to keep the public in CONSTANT fear....

and *who* are the real terrorists around here anyway?

terrorism n. 1. the act of terrorizing; use of force or threats to demoralize, intimidate, and subjugate, esp. such use as a political weapon or policy 2. the demoralization and intimidation produced in this way
(From Websters New College Dictionary - Third College Edition)

Me wonders why :sarcasm: they want to keep the fear of being attacked CONSTANTLY in the public's face by:

- years-long public education campaign
- television documentaries
- made-for-teevee movies

So that the public is always trembling and in intense fear? (definition of 'terror')

Is it because they think in this way, we will accept more gutting or our Constitution? So that we will accept more erosion of our privacy and civil liberties and rights? (rhetorical question)

-----

All the time, money, and effort that the government wants to put into this effort would be much more beneficially spent, say producing information about home-health care and herbal remedies (or a do-it-yourself surgery show) :sarcasm:, SINCE over 45 MILLION AMERICANS DON'T HAVE HEALTH CARE RIGHT NOW! (and that's just ONE of the REAL PROBLEMS the American Public has to deal with EVERY DAY).

How stupid is it for average Americans to learn about terror methods or play stay-at-home-CIA agent by explaining the typically fragmentary nature of the government's intelligence about where and how they may be carried out? We REALLY want to know where all the missing money sent to Iraq went (was it $81 billion?????)

I WANT ANSWERS FROM MY GOVERNMENT, not this proposed crap!

The sooner all of these manipulative, deceitful morons are out of office - the better!

[Nevernose]

19. Television: What if Goebbels had run the Roman Colliseum?

It really is the perfect combination of propaganda and mindless entertainment, ain't it?

[northstar]

25. Absolutely, but I believe it's gonna back-fire on them this time

People have had enough of this crap and this waste of National Treasury Resources on propaganda.

The government hasn't done much good for the public interest or the health of the nation as a whole in a long, long time. And people are tired of it.

Btw, Remember these stupid things?:

http://www.debv.com/humorsigns.htm

[Nevernose]

26. Bert the Turtle in full animated glory:

Soem of those humor signs were hilarious, btw.

[Jose Diablo]

12. Color coded alerts should be scrapped

They should go with alerting sounds IMO.

I like the "Woop..Woop..Woop" the 'tin cans' make when closing on a sub.

Then again, the blaring of the 'Klaxon', "Blaaahh....Blaaah...Blaaah" like we hear interspersed with the ambulance/fire engine siren has a lot going for it. It does get your attention.

Anyway, sounds demand more attention that just puny colors. Sounds make your heart race, really get the old adrenalin flowing.

Edit: Thinking about it, I remember in the good old days we had these sirens mounted on tall poles that was used as the Civil Defense Warning System. The powers to be tested these sirens periodically. They sounded neat. Occasionally a storm would blow through and we would get to enjoy the sound of an actual 'alert'. Of course, we all would go outside to see what all the commotion was all about, generally in pretty good spirits.

Maybe new sound makers could be again placed on tall poles, and our youth could enjoy the same thrills as we old people enjoyed in our youth. But with the 'new' upgraded Civil Defense Warning System with new enhanced sounds.

It could also be used if there was some 'emergency' like a wayward bride wandered off, things like that. Thus everyone could be watching out to spot her and return her to her alloted place, beside her husband to be. Actually a couple steps behind him, but thats a small detail.

My father told me that a very long time ago, in Dads youth, they used to 'blow the anvil' on special occasions. Like the 4th of July. A half stick or so of dynamite would be placed in a cavity in an anvil, another anvil placed on top of the cavity and the fuse of the dynamite lit. Well, Dad said that made a huge bang and the anvil would fly through the air. Everyone liked the sound. But Dad, he was really fond of the then 'new' Civil Defense Warning System. He said it was much better that the anvil trick.

Progress must be made. The future awaits and won't be stopped.

[FlaGranny]

17. Maybe the alerts should be

tied to a "smell" rather than a color.

[uppityperson]

18. Clowns

happy big smiling clowns for all is fine
mildly smiling clowns
serious clowns
sad clowns
skeleton clowns
Mr.bush
Mr.cheney

[democracyindanger]

20. Release mice into the streets

The more mice you see, the higher the alert level.

[TrogL]

22. How about smells?

Smells would be nice.

The higher the level, the greater the smell of horseshit.

[Soth]

23. I thought poll numbers were the alternate system.

The lower Bush's numbers, the higher the chance of an attack, right?

80-90% - Everything's Fine
70-80% - We're Still Good, But Remember That There Are Terrorists
60-70% - Just Double-Check Behind the Hedges
50-60% - Scattered Reports of Terrorist Activity
40-50% - Oh Geez I Think There Are Terrorists Around
30-40% - Attack Imminent
20-30% - Wet Yourself Now
10-20% - HE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SH-

[Rambis]

24. Measure how far * head is up his ass

once it engulfs his entire body you have the rapture?

[Robworld]

27. The color coded charts served its purpose.

Bush got his war and 4 more years. What use do the color coded charts have anymore?

http://www.dumdumgoestothecircus.com/

[daleo]

28. They are afraid of habituation

As people get used to all the warnings, they will begin to ignore them (this happens with almost anything). That is bad for the propaganda business, so they will cool it for a while, maybe go to some other system that raises less emotional flags. But, as another election approaches you can bet they will return to this.

It is possible they may find something more alarming, perhaps a mushroom cloud count, a la the 5 star hotel idea - "we give this threat our highest rating, 5 mushroom clouds".