Cool Risk Terror Advisory Scale

Last week, I saw a news broadcast on BBC TV that reminded me of one of the cartoons on this website! It was announcing the terror alert for Europe issued by the US authorities. The UK and France followed up with their own warnings. Germany scoffed at the whole thing. Other European intelligence officials used the word 'nonsensical'.

Personally, I'm with the Germans and The Guardian newspaper. I think the alert has more to do with the upcoming American mid-term elections than any realistic assessment of risk. So I have raised the level on the Cool Risk Terror Advisory Scale. It is now at ORANGE: INCREDIBLE.

The warnings were so vague that nobody could usefully do anything about them. The only possible purpose in issuing the warnings was to be able to say, 'I told you so' in the event of a terrorist attack. Well, that's the charitable interpretation. There are various less-charitable interpretations that are more to do with terrifying people. Surely that's the aim of terrorists though? Why would government authorities want to help them?