Saturday, March 26, 2011
From CD to CD
Lots of discussion now about fallout shelters. Much of the discussion is an Orwellian reversal of historical truth.
Supposedly the 'duck and cover' drills and the fallout shelters of 1960 were generators of panic.
Nope, it's the exact opposite, by intention and result. Eisenhower and JFK wanted Americans to feel confident. That's why they built public shelters and encouraged the building of private shelters.
Basic fact about anxiety: When you do something that gives you a convincing sense of control, you lose the panic.
I've noticed this lately re heavy snow. Before I figured out how to rake the roof, I just sat in the house and waited for it to collapse. It didn't break, but it did leak badly, and my heart went wild. After I got the tools and the technique and the guts to go out there and DO IT, no more ice dams and no more panic.
When you have your own tornado/fallout shelter, or you know there's a public tornado/fallout shelter nearby, you don't panic nearly as much about the mysterious tornado/fallout.
Later presidents, beginning with Unhanged Traitor Carter, intentionally substituted panic for confidence, and concentrated solely on protecting their own personal dictatorial ass. The fallout shelter system, and the Civil Defense warning system, were allowed to lapse and gradually deleted from the bureaucracy.
In 2001 when the dreaded event finally happened, no part of the government responded and no emergency warnings were broadcast. The Professional Panicators at the cable TV networks grabbed the fearball and ran with it, with considerable help from Sultan Bush's bureaucrats.
Mission accomplished: Total vulnerability. Civil Defense was replaced by Cognitive Dissonance. We realized the government was absolutely useless (or worse) and we simultaneously had to obey the government's "protective measures" like TSA.
China and Russia never abandoned Civil Defense. They continued to serve their own people with vast and well-maintained bunkers. ¶ 5:45 PM
Supposedly the 'duck and cover' drills and the fallout shelters of 1960 were generators of panic.
Nope, it's the exact opposite, by intention and result. Eisenhower and JFK wanted Americans to feel confident. That's why they built public shelters and encouraged the building of private shelters.
Basic fact about anxiety: When you do something that gives you a convincing sense of control, you lose the panic.
I've noticed this lately re heavy snow. Before I figured out how to rake the roof, I just sat in the house and waited for it to collapse. It didn't break, but it did leak badly, and my heart went wild. After I got the tools and the technique and the guts to go out there and DO IT, no more ice dams and no more panic.
When you have your own tornado/fallout shelter, or you know there's a public tornado/fallout shelter nearby, you don't panic nearly as much about the mysterious tornado/fallout.
Later presidents, beginning with Unhanged Traitor Carter, intentionally substituted panic for confidence, and concentrated solely on protecting their own personal dictatorial ass. The fallout shelter system, and the Civil Defense warning system, were allowed to lapse and gradually deleted from the bureaucracy.
In 2001 when the dreaded event finally happened, no part of the government responded and no emergency warnings were broadcast. The Professional Panicators at the cable TV networks grabbed the fearball and ran with it, with considerable help from Sultan Bush's bureaucrats.
Mission accomplished: Total vulnerability. Civil Defense was replaced by Cognitive Dissonance. We realized the government was absolutely useless (or worse) and we simultaneously had to obey the government's "protective measures" like TSA.
China and Russia never abandoned Civil Defense. They continued to serve their own people with vast and well-maintained bunkers. ¶ 5:45 PM
