What are people afraid of?
Mar 18th, 2003, 11:24 AM
#41
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Lets see, what to be afraid of?
How about something we can grasp, like that crazy tobacco farmer from NC parked in the Constitution Avenue lake, saying his tractor is wired with explosives. He's been there since noon yesterday. Good god, somebody get the man a cheeseburger and freedom fries, and get him on the first bus out.
Instead, SWAT is posted, buildings evauated, traffic snarled. The Federal Reserve employees were even told they had to Metro in. Now that's a real wartime footing. And it's less than 24 hours after W's pronouncement.
Normally I'd agree with anyone who analyzes our source of fear as the unknown. This time, I think we have a good handle on the knowns, so possibly it's our imaginations running wild.
How about something we can grasp, like that crazy tobacco farmer from NC parked in the Constitution Avenue lake, saying his tractor is wired with explosives. He's been there since noon yesterday. Good god, somebody get the man a cheeseburger and freedom fries, and get him on the first bus out.
Instead, SWAT is posted, buildings evauated, traffic snarled. The Federal Reserve employees were even told they had to Metro in. Now that's a real wartime footing. And it's less than 24 hours after W's pronouncement.
Normally I'd agree with anyone who analyzes our source of fear as the unknown. This time, I think we have a good handle on the knowns, so possibly it's our imaginations running wild.
Mar 18th, 2003, 11:43 AM
#42
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OK, I'll live up to my name(sake) and make some predictions, by way of explaining what people might be afraid of. Hopefully, none of these will ever happen; realistically, one or more will -- and the announced intention of al Qaeda is to have several events happen simultaneously:
1. Bio-weaponry cargo off-loaded months ago from one of the millions of cargo ships in our woefully under-secured harbors will be loaded and armed in a truck that will then explode in the middle of a busy rush hour down-town area of one (or two or three) of our biggest cities: NY, Wash., Chicago, Boston, Phila., Seattle, LA, San Francisco, Atlanta, or Orlando.
2. A suicide-mission crop-duster will take off from one of the thousands of unsecured small private-aviation airports and "dust" Disneyworld or Miami Beach or Branson or General Motors headquarters.
3. A group of suicide-mission self-infected terrorists, in the early stages of smallpox or some other miserable disease will spend a day marching through the subways of a metropolitan area, or a day circulating through a major airport. More efficiently, a squad of suicide-mission terrorists will unleash some sarin nerve gas in several such places at once.
4. A suicide-mission private pilot will take off, again from one of those small airports, and crash into the Niagara Falls powerstation, thereby replicating the great northeastern black out, only this time getting back on-line will take weeks or more, not just a few hours.
5. A highly sophisticated technoterrorist will jam the internet or the cell-phone system of a large part of the country, rendering communication impossible for many days.
6. Squads of terrorists will plant bombs, dirty or clean, at entrances to train and subway tunnels, under major interstate highway bridges, or around major water-navigation systems (harbors, canals, etc.).
7. Squads of terrorists armed with shoulder-mounted missile launchers and situated 2-5 miles from the ends of major airport runways will fire on aircraft during take-off and landing.
8. Highly toxic poisons will be introduced into the water supply systems of major metropolitan areas.
And even if you, a traveler, are safely away from the catastrophe, you could easily be caught across the country, across the ocean, or on the other side of the world, and you can't get in touch with any family, friends, neighbors, or anyone else to find out who's ok and what's happening.
Meanwhile, we're buying duct tape (which, by the way, doesn't filter out biotoxins nearly as well as plain plastic cellophane package sealing tape) and somehow believing that enough bombs in Iraq will offset the loss of help from all our former friends in combating terrorism.
Ask anyone in the administration -- they've already told us that there WILL be terrorist attacks on the U.S. Doesn't seem to bother them, but then they have places to hide in the Maryland mountains.
1. Bio-weaponry cargo off-loaded months ago from one of the millions of cargo ships in our woefully under-secured harbors will be loaded and armed in a truck that will then explode in the middle of a busy rush hour down-town area of one (or two or three) of our biggest cities: NY, Wash., Chicago, Boston, Phila., Seattle, LA, San Francisco, Atlanta, or Orlando.
2. A suicide-mission crop-duster will take off from one of the thousands of unsecured small private-aviation airports and "dust" Disneyworld or Miami Beach or Branson or General Motors headquarters.
3. A group of suicide-mission self-infected terrorists, in the early stages of smallpox or some other miserable disease will spend a day marching through the subways of a metropolitan area, or a day circulating through a major airport. More efficiently, a squad of suicide-mission terrorists will unleash some sarin nerve gas in several such places at once.
4. A suicide-mission private pilot will take off, again from one of those small airports, and crash into the Niagara Falls powerstation, thereby replicating the great northeastern black out, only this time getting back on-line will take weeks or more, not just a few hours.
5. A highly sophisticated technoterrorist will jam the internet or the cell-phone system of a large part of the country, rendering communication impossible for many days.
6. Squads of terrorists will plant bombs, dirty or clean, at entrances to train and subway tunnels, under major interstate highway bridges, or around major water-navigation systems (harbors, canals, etc.).
7. Squads of terrorists armed with shoulder-mounted missile launchers and situated 2-5 miles from the ends of major airport runways will fire on aircraft during take-off and landing.
8. Highly toxic poisons will be introduced into the water supply systems of major metropolitan areas.
And even if you, a traveler, are safely away from the catastrophe, you could easily be caught across the country, across the ocean, or on the other side of the world, and you can't get in touch with any family, friends, neighbors, or anyone else to find out who's ok and what's happening.
Meanwhile, we're buying duct tape (which, by the way, doesn't filter out biotoxins nearly as well as plain plastic cellophane package sealing tape) and somehow believing that enough bombs in Iraq will offset the loss of help from all our former friends in combating terrorism.
Ask anyone in the administration -- they've already told us that there WILL be terrorist attacks on the U.S. Doesn't seem to bother them, but then they have places to hide in the Maryland mountains.
Mar 18th, 2003, 12:00 PM
#43
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This thread is as depressing as CNN. Might be a good time for everyone to pray to whatever God you believe in. I say the "Serenity Prayer" every day, it has helped me get through a lot of tough times.
A psychologist friend of mine told me that we can't control the things or the people around us, but we can control our reaction to them.
A psychologist friend of mine told me that we can't control the things or the people around us, but we can control our reaction to them.
Mar 18th, 2003, 12:06 PM
#45
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More than any war, or "terrorist threat", I am particularly afraid of:
1. Fat people at buffet lines
2. Stay-at-home moms at the mall during my lunch hour
3. Babies on planes
4. Taking the metro to anywhere in SE Washington, D.C.
5. Fat people on planes sitting next to me
6. Carnies
1. Fat people at buffet lines
2. Stay-at-home moms at the mall during my lunch hour
3. Babies on planes
4. Taking the metro to anywhere in SE Washington, D.C.
5. Fat people on planes sitting next to me
6. Carnies
Mar 18th, 2003, 12:18 PM
#48
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What am I afraid of, hmmmm...ok....
1-small men in big trucks
2-large women in big trucks
3-teenagers in cars
4-early bird specials
5-this seasons shoes
6-people who stead others identities then post as them
7-people who believe what they hear on televison
8-reality shows
9-some of those security guards at the airport
10-people who rant and rave
JJason-I looove your list
1-small men in big trucks
2-large women in big trucks
3-teenagers in cars
4-early bird specials
5-this seasons shoes
6-people who stead others identities then post as them
7-people who believe what they hear on televison
8-reality shows
9-some of those security guards at the airport
10-people who rant and rave
JJason-I looove your list
Mar 18th, 2003, 12:29 PM
#50
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What am I afraid of?
1.) Fat men in little speedos..
2.) Men who have hair everywhere...
3.) Old Farts driving who are legally blind..
4.) People sneezing and hacking into the buffet...
5.) Other people's kids who can do no wrong...
6.)Running out of chocolate...
7.) Running out of booze...
8.) Big hairy spiders...
9.) Snakes, snakes and snakes...
10.) People who always think they are right...
Lastly-Looking straight down a double black diamond and thinking why am I here...
1.) Fat men in little speedos..
2.) Men who have hair everywhere...
3.) Old Farts driving who are legally blind..
4.) People sneezing and hacking into the buffet...
5.) Other people's kids who can do no wrong...
6.)Running out of chocolate...
7.) Running out of booze...
8.) Big hairy spiders...
9.) Snakes, snakes and snakes...
10.) People who always think they are right...
Lastly-Looking straight down a double black diamond and thinking why am I here...
Mar 18th, 2003, 12:47 PM
#51
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Glad to inject a little humor in this thread, and this board since it is truly lacking......
here are some more things I am afraid of, more than a date with Margaret Cho:
7. Angry Puerto Rican women
8. any film "starring" Jean Claude Van Damm
9. Old drivers
10. Math
11. the next Britney Spears song
12. shopping with my girlfriend
13. my girlfriend
14. the Chinese Teaching Assistant in my Engineering class in college
15. Branson, Missoura
here are some more things I am afraid of, more than a date with Margaret Cho:
7. Angry Puerto Rican women
8. any film "starring" Jean Claude Van Damm
9. Old drivers
10. Math
11. the next Britney Spears song
12. shopping with my girlfriend
13. my girlfriend
14. the Chinese Teaching Assistant in my Engineering class in college
15. Branson, Missoura
Mar 18th, 2003, 01:34 PM
#53
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Ok Ellen, you win. Be afraid. Don't spend your money on airline tickets on any US airlines. For your information Italy is very familier surroundings to my MIL. We also have a house there, a house that she spent most of her youth in, so it's not as though she is in unfamilier surroundings, but then again, she's also afraid to take the train into Manhattan so her fear shouldn't be so surprising to me.
Cassandra, thanks for explaining what some people fear. Unfortunately they are all scenarios that take place right here at home, so I would also feel much safer on a beach in Hawaii or a villa in Tuscany. I don't know, call me crazy, as well as pushy.
Anyway Olive is right. Turn off the alarmist news, it really is counterproductive.
Coco, no need to be afraid unless you are dressed very badly and want to be subjected to a fashion analysis on E, but I know that would never happen to you, so, let's see, what am I afraid of?
1. The Fodors monitors.
2. Green fuzzy stuff on leftovers.
3. That my kids won't want to get their own place someday.
4. Toothpicks behind the wheel, especially in Florida.
5. The security guard at the airport of questionable gender who checks my underwire.
6. That my MIL will only go on vacation if we go with her.
Cassandra, thanks for explaining what some people fear. Unfortunately they are all scenarios that take place right here at home, so I would also feel much safer on a beach in Hawaii or a villa in Tuscany. I don't know, call me crazy, as well as pushy.
Anyway Olive is right. Turn off the alarmist news, it really is counterproductive.
Coco, no need to be afraid unless you are dressed very badly and want to be subjected to a fashion analysis on E, but I know that would never happen to you, so, let's see, what am I afraid of?
1. The Fodors monitors.
2. Green fuzzy stuff on leftovers.
3. That my kids won't want to get their own place someday.
4. Toothpicks behind the wheel, especially in Florida.
5. The security guard at the airport of questionable gender who checks my underwire.
6. That my MIL will only go on vacation if we go with her.
Mar 18th, 2003, 01:50 PM
#54
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The very BEST thing I did for myself was to read Fear Less by Gavin de Becker. He is the fear "expert" who is called when horrible tragedies happen ie Columbine, Oaklahoma City etc.
Read it and you will understand why our imaginations are running wild. Check out the reviews on Amazon.com. This book should be required reading for all Americans!!
Read it and you will understand why our imaginations are running wild. Check out the reviews on Amazon.com. This book should be required reading for all Americans!!
Mar 18th, 2003, 02:55 PM
#56
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What am I afraid of -
1-Spiders (any size, hair or not)
2-Drivers that cannot see over the steering wheel.
3-Truck drivers on the NJ Turnpike
4-Backing up over those spikes
5-Giving the wrong answer at the airport
6-Someone stealing Pup
7-Responding on the thread about the Producers
8-Losing my 19 inch waist
9-Losing Rhett
10-Losing Tara
1-Spiders (any size, hair or not)
2-Drivers that cannot see over the steering wheel.
3-Truck drivers on the NJ Turnpike
4-Backing up over those spikes
5-Giving the wrong answer at the airport
6-Someone stealing Pup
7-Responding on the thread about the Producers
8-Losing my 19 inch waist
9-Losing Rhett
10-Losing Tara
Mar 18th, 2003, 03:16 PM
#57
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This answer is pretty obvious. People are afraid to travel because they have heard about the anti-american sentiment in other countries. You could travel and have no problems or you could travel and become someone's target simply because you are american. Germany and Italy (as far as I have heard about Italy) are not (at this time) supporting this war. They showed a poll on CNN that said americans like germans by about 40 some % and germany only returned the feelings about americans by 30some %.
People are also (more so for international flights) worried that they could possibly get stuck in another country due to unseen possible retaliation. Thousands of people were stranded on and after Sept 11th becuase everything shut down. Obviously there is a bigger risk of something happening again that would cause travel to cease.
I am planning a vacation for August/September which seems a long time away right now but I wouldn't cancel a trip within the US right now. I would probably seriously consider it if it were international.
People are also (more so for international flights) worried that they could possibly get stuck in another country due to unseen possible retaliation. Thousands of people were stranded on and after Sept 11th becuase everything shut down. Obviously there is a bigger risk of something happening again that would cause travel to cease.
I am planning a vacation for August/September which seems a long time away right now but I wouldn't cancel a trip within the US right now. I would probably seriously consider it if it were international.
Mar 18th, 2003, 03:58 PM
#58
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One word comes through on a number of messages and it sticks with me. that word is "stranded".
I believe that people are staying closer to home, or to where they are needed, because of the probability of war. My children are scattered around the washington beltway and we're going to be sticking closer by. Yes, the media is hammering away every hour and every day as to what's happening and when. It does help to turn off the tv and radio and get your own thoughts together. I, for one, am tired of the overhead traffic signs urging us to start reporting unusual events to a special phone number. But just as important is why we are going to war and sorry Nina, but it does matter to a lot of us that 43 is going to finish what 41 started back in 1991. Perhaps if many of us could truly understand the reasons for this war (besides oil and oil services) we'd all be more sensitive to the issues. In the long run I believe we will alienate many more Middle Eastern people and create further problems for ourselves.
I believe that people are staying closer to home, or to where they are needed, because of the probability of war. My children are scattered around the washington beltway and we're going to be sticking closer by. Yes, the media is hammering away every hour and every day as to what's happening and when. It does help to turn off the tv and radio and get your own thoughts together. I, for one, am tired of the overhead traffic signs urging us to start reporting unusual events to a special phone number. But just as important is why we are going to war and sorry Nina, but it does matter to a lot of us that 43 is going to finish what 41 started back in 1991. Perhaps if many of us could truly understand the reasons for this war (besides oil and oil services) we'd all be more sensitive to the issues. In the long run I believe we will alienate many more Middle Eastern people and create further problems for ourselves.
Mar 18th, 2003, 05:56 PM
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Very well said LN. If there is not a positive outcome to all of this and a truly better lifestyle for the Iraq's then I think we are in for a heap of trouble world wide. When one takes this stance in the middle east, where no one wants the old "american democratic way" it could be a can of worms. A true pandoras box. You can win the "battle" but still lose the "war" as the saying goes. They do not want the American way, or McDonnalds on every corner. It will not work. Although most countries do not like SH, they feel he was pretty self contained and posed no real threat. No one will thank us after this is over. As for traveling, I will still travel but selectively for the time being.
Mar 18th, 2003, 06:29 PM
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Nina, I think you should cut your fearful mother in law a little slack. How old is she? I find that my mother and mother in law tend to become more fearful of many things the older they get. It's just part of the aging process. Don't expect her to think like you do because she's not of the same generation. Where is your empathy?
