TW: I suppose the intent was legitimate post 9/11 in the environment of uncertainty and fear pervading the nation. But the color warning system for terror risk never really provided any value and it cannot. Raising the level risks creating a "crying wolf" mentality whereby increasingly folks pay it no attention. Lowering the risk level risks the government being accused of taking its guard down should an attack occur after the lowering. The colored threat level has not changed I do not believe in years and is stuck at orange.
The system is a essentially a forecasting tool for something we cannot forecast nearly to the degree of precision a color-coded system of gradients implies. If an attack is considered imminent with a significant degree of probability I would assume our government will act accordingly with direct warnings and preventative measures, just like they would have done without the system or pre 9-11.
From NBC:
"Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano today will call for a review of the color-coded threat level system, which was created in the months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The system was intended to standardize warnings of increased terror threat. Though it got a fairly good workout at first, its use has tapered off in the past few years. One reason is that the overall level of awareness -- both among the public, government, and law enforcement -- is greater now than it was before the attacks.
The review is intended to address whether the system is still needed. And, if so, whether further refinements are in order."
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