Subject:
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Anthrax outside US: threat or paranoia?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 17 Oct 2001 21:30:36 GMT
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Viewed:
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198 times
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Hi all,
I am posting this because of the recent news about anthrax-bearing letters
in the US. I know those are causing concern across the atlantic, so I won't
discuss *their* impact. Which is REAL, BTW.
But one thing is bugging me: in the last couple of days a considerable
number of events in .pt (and some other countries as well) have proved to be
the produce of immagination (or suggestion?).
Today was the ultimate bugger. The water reservoirs of Lisbon, who serve
about one million people, have been shut down because "unidentified people
broke in there and tied up the security guard" (yes, just one! But that is
another issue...). According to health officials, *nothing* was put in the
water, and the police did not report *any* breaking to the tanks themselves.
So now the capital city of this country has fallen victim to paranoia - at
least everything points out to it. Taps are dry so far.
My point: is there any chance that the *extensive* media coverage of this
matter is causing panic among otherwise non concerned people? Has the "Fear
of the White Powder" come to stay?
And, last but not least, have the terrorists managed to do what they wanted
(to keep entire nations hostages of terror)? Are we losing whatever war we
are not fighting?
IMHO, yes. I cannot buy a paper withot seeing "Anthrax" or derivatives on
the title; I cannot turn on the TV without hearing endless stories about NBC
warfare; I cannot fly without having my luggage *extensively* searched (and
hour-long delays); I can no longer go to a football match without feeling
opressive presence of security...
I am not afraid of the threat, I am afraid of the way we deal with it. Is it
reasonable to live in societies which are dominated by fear (justified or not)?
Our lives have become exercises of risk-assesment, and the worries caused to
so many will have future repercussions. The profession "analist" seems
promising every day that goes by.
Just my way to say I am upset with all this. :-(
Pedro
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