15 Feb Which is Scarier: Incident No. 2
Which is scarier: the fact that a man was gunned down in broad daylight at a gas station in Washington, DC and no one did anything to help him or that, in another part of the city we were scared sh*itless into buying more duct tape and plastic than we know what to do with?
First we are told to prepare for the worst: build a “safe” room in your house. Have an escape plan and phone contacts outside the city. Carry a three-day supply of important meds with you. Everyone begins to look suspicious and catastrophe is imminent. Our survival depends on being prepared. Then we witness the worst at the corner of Florida Avenue and 5th Street. Nothing could prepare me for that.
Whose losing their credibility at a faster rate: our politicians or those who ignored this dying man?
Neither trend portends well for the development of trust. Too bad. We could use some right now. Our survival may depend on it.
Donna
Posted at 12:10h, 16 FebruaryYou’ve heard that Tom Ridge took back the duct tape/tarp suggestion? He said “don’t do it, you’ll suffocate.” Really.
Jeff
Posted at 12:39h, 16 FebruaryYes and that’s part of the problem. If, like weather forecasters, people begin to distrust the accuracy of the government’s predictions, then when there is a real emergency, many people will ignore the warnings. The Chicken Little Effect.
Trust is an important commodity these days. In the net world we are well-aware that the reputation of the poster determines the weight of their comments. If I were Tom Ridge I would be very concerned about his department’s reputation.