Bloggers have been making fun of this for a while now:
A new Congressional report has found that the government’s much ridiculed color-coded terrorist alert system is so vague in detailing threats that the public “may begin to question the authenticity” of the threats and take no action when the alert level is raised.
The review by the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan branch of the Library of Congress, offered lawmakers options for replacing or overhauling the system, including a proposal that the five-color palette of alert levels be replaced with “general warnings concerning the threat of terrorist attacks.”
I don’t know what would work better in place of this, but there is no doubt this system is pointless.
Robi
YES! Agree 100% – even further – like the little boy who cried wolf.. dangerous – few will heed warnings when the threat is known to be real, tangible and detailed.
Matthew
I personally liked the color coding, if only because it could inspire Crayola to issue new colors like “High Orange,” “Severe Red,” and “Guarded Blue.”
(I’m kidding, really I am.)
bear, the (one each)
Every time they discuss this, I think of that one episode of Red Dwarf where Kriton lays broken under a pile of rubble. The perspective is his mind, and in the corner we see “condition toup”, “condition mauve”, “condition heliotrope”…
RedLion
This all started when the ninnies complained that Geo Bush and the powers that be weren’t issuing warnings.
====================
“Why weren’t we given any waaaaarnings?!!!”
“Ummm… Because we didn’t have any conclusive evidence and didn’t want to create mass hysteria. 99.99999% of the time, even though we might have some suspicions, nothing happens.”
“We want warrrrrrnings!”
“But nothing usually happens. It’ll jus…
“WE NEEEEEEED WARRRRRRRRNINGS!”
“(sigh) Okay, okay. Here ya go. Color codes. Green is good, red is bad. Are you happy now?”
“Waaaiiit, which is baaaad?”
“Red. Red is bad. Green is good.”
“We don’t liiiike greeeeen. It’s the color of eeeeevil money. HEY! You orange warned us and nothing happened.”
“Yeah, we know.”
“But you said…”
“We said it was useless. We said it would be silly because…”
“Which is bad? We’re confused!”
“(sigh)”