terrorism threat raised to severe

[chibi]

In today's Guardian, but in all other papers too.

What am I supposed to do with this information? What can the purpose be other than to put me in a state of terror?

If I were told I were at severe risk of having a heart attack, I could make changes to my diet and lifestyle, if I chose. If I were at severe risk of a traffic accident, I could also alter my behaviour to help minimise this.

WTF am I meant to do about a severe risk of a terrorist incident? Not leave the house? Glare at people with suspiciously long beards?

Why even tell me? Seriously, what is the point of this?

This actually makes me angry.

Look at the last paragraqph of that article.

It's information that should be available to the public.

I suppose the only changes you, we, as memebers of the public, should make, would be to be more vigilant and aware of our surroundings. Report an unattended bag on a station platform, for example, rather than ignoring it and assuming someone will do something about it eventually.

I see what you mean, but I disagree. The whole 'report unattended baggage' has been drummed into our heads for years now - I think it is even in station tannoy announcements/posters.

I think my concern is why is the threat severe now, as opposed to last week, or last month, and if there is nothing I can do beyond what I am already doing, what is the aim of making this information public?

It just seems to inject a level of constant fear and tension into daily life. I am unconvinced that this is really necessary or helpful.

I am new-ish to the UK, since about 2001, so I missed the heyday of IRA terrorist incidents. Were they handled in a similar way, with the publication of threat levels?

I don't recal publication of 'threat levels' - I think that's a mdoern invention of the quantify-everything mentality - but I do remember discussions, at home, at school, and in nespapers, about how we should behave. We lived in London at that time, went to school on the Tube (my brother went right into Central London on the Tube) and my dad also worked in town. Our decision wast that you don't bow down to terrorist. You continue on your day-to-day life, but you remain vigilant. And, yes, we did do things like report unattended baggage and people behaving suspiciously. You'd be amazed how many peopel don't. I'm fairly sure that there ws at least one bomb that had been noticed beforehand, but that had not been reported.

Governement department offices have the current threat level on display for all the staff to see. Or at least the Home Office did in 1994 when I worked there.

I don't get the problem. Prefer to know stuff rather than be kept in lalaland where everything is lovely and flowery, me.

I think it is good to know,levelsweren'tdisplayed in our VAT office when I worked there in @ 1995 though.

WRT the IRA I lived in the town where the MP as S of State for Ireland,and we generally didn't know much.We did however have very visible policing whenever the MP was about, and people could be very edgy about the Irish, tbh I think mroe information is thekey,not secretiveness.

levels were also displayed at the army garrison where iu used to live

there was another thread the same as this last night. but its info collated but we arent allowed to know,just that its risen to a severe risk. who knows what intelligence they have?

Prefer to know stuff rather than be kept in lalaland where everything is lovely and flowery, me.

I don't think that this really applies here. There isn't any actual 'stuff' to know here.

The way I am meant to behave under a severe alert (i.e. be vigilant) is the same as how I ought to behave under a significant or whatever the next lowest level is. Or is there a sliding scale of vigilance to match the terror threat level ?

There is no concrete information that raising the threat level gives, there is no appropriate response beyond that which I would give to a slightly lesser threat.

It is a bit scarermongering - 'something bad is going to happen, we can't tell you when but you should expect it, we can't tell you when, there is nothing you can do to avoid it, but be reassured, we're on the case'.

It just isn't meaningful - there isn't anything I can do in response other than have a feeling of fear. So why bother telling me? I am also going to die one day. Maybe the government should issue press releases about that - 'chibi, this could be your unlucky day. Or not, we have no way of knowing and wouldn't tell you if we did. Good luck and beware!'

I think it just serves to make the unpalatable palatable. There have been a whole host of initiatives over the last ten years that would be unthinkable in any other state other than a climate of fear - indefinite detention without arrest, justifications of torture/rendition etc.

plan a was stopped (the episode before xmas,the airplane bomber) maybe plan b is about to be unleashed?

worrying,but life goes on..

Having now watched the news, I'm presuming the threat has been raised because virtually every world leader is due in the UK this week?