OK, time to steer things in a completely different direction (not that I haven't enjoyed the recent posts).

By now I'm sure you all heard about the recently heightened terror alert level and that it was based on information that pre-dated 9/11.

Ladies(?) and gentlemen, it's time to talk about The Boy Who Cried Wolf. I present you with exhibit A, Tom Ridge:



The Terror Alert system is completely counter-productive to its intended goals. Instead of encouraging U.S. citizens to prepare for possible attacks, it is slowly but surely desensitizing us to possible threats. Each time the terror alert level is raised and lowered, we go through a period of inconvenience and eye-rolling -- just yesterday, someone in my office building called security about a possile bomb because we had left a box outside our office for FedEx to pick up -- before returning to our regular lives.

The alert system is the single-most Orwellian device ever to come from the U.S. Govt.

Discuss.