Is there such a thing as being too prepared for disaster?
Uhm, yeah. It’s called paranoia. Or panic, if you prefer. It’s been nearly a decade since 9/11 and in those first couple of years after, the world was on high alert ready to bomb/kill/torture anyone with brown skin and more consonants than vowels in their name. In some respects, we have all simmered down a bit, no doubt helped in part by the fact that Bush is no longer at the US helm screaming “WAR ON TERROR” every 30 seconds while frothing at the mouth.
However, post 9/11 has spawned a few interesting trends that you might miss if not looking for them, and television programing is the one that stands out for me. Have you noted how many “survive this” type shows that are on these days, and how successful they are? Whether documenting a real emergency in microscopic detail, playing out scenarios that “could happen”, or fiction based on the end of the world as we know it, we have shown a sharp increase in this type of disaster preparedness. It’s as though people are on the edge of their seats assuming that the dark days are right around the corner and so are amassing an arsenal of information on how to survive the inevitable apocalyptic hell fire/bomb/terror attack/plane crash, etc, etc…….
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in being prepared. In Vancouver, I always had an earthquake kit and didn’t feel silly putting it together because I lived in an area that was prone to them! However, I saw a commercial the other night for yet another disaster program whose advertising basically amounted to “watch this or you will die a horrible death because you don’t know how to get out of a goddamn full nelson you wimp.”
I think we’re fixating on it as a society. Putting the masses in a panic, or keeping them in a state of nervous anxiety for what is to come next is power. Frightened people, even if only subconsciously so, will allow things to happen that would normally be absolutely out of the question.
And that scares the shit out of me.
Be prepared, be aware, and be realistic, but can’t we please stop feeding into this global wave of hysteria that allows us to compromise our fundamental rights, or the rights of others? Once you start down that slippery slope, it’s a tough climb to get back.
