The Department of Homeland Security’s Advisory System — you know, that bullshit chart of Green-Blue-Yellow-Orange-Red we’ve all been laughing at since 9/11 — will soon enter its fifth consecutive year at precisely the same level of national alert. It should surprise no one that said level is “yellow” — the one in the middle — and that is has been unchanged since August 12, 2005.
Some makework Bushite drone came up with this goofball idea in the Great National Freakout of late 2001, and nobody has yet had the stones to do away with it. We Heathen wonder how many thousands of dollars have been wasted down this particular rathole.
Update: Mrs Heathen points out that it’s Orange at airports. This is true. It’s been Orange for . . . three years.
At the bajillion airports I was at this weekend, they said it was Orange.
Totally agree with your assessment of the advisory system. As a government employee forced into Homeland Security, I can tell you that this is one of the many stupid initiatives given birth by this abortion of a money-pit that probably earned some undeserving bureaucrat an SES promotion.
The system’s concept works exceptionally well for the military, who live and die by plans and checklists. Only a moron can think it would be a good idea to re-package it and try to force it on a population where the majority’s concept of strategic planning is figuring out how many times they’ll call the toll free number to vote for Adam on American Idol.