# Latest "terror alert" based on 3-4 year-old information **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 3, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-terror-alert-based-on-3-4-year-old-information/258187 "2004-08-03T20:17:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-terror-alert-based-on-3-4-year-old-information/258187/61 "2004-08-04T11:52:35Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Mensa? 😃 That’s just a society of losers who can’t qualify for TOPS. Well here we agree (although I’ve just looked up TOPS and would tend to say they were losers too), but I believe I made a couple of other points somewhere in there… ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-terror-alert-based-on-3-4-year-old-information/258187/62 "2004-08-04T16:58:22Z")
\Is it just me, or is anyone else angry that we’re forever raising or lowering the **Terror** Alert? Not the “security” alert or the “safety” alert or even the “nasty activity” alert, it’s the **Terror** alert. Talk about keeping the general populace afraid all the time. I loathe this terminology.\ ---
**Author:** ![rngadam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/97f17d/32.png) [@rngadam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rngadam)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-terror-alert-based-on-3-4-year-old-information/258187/63 "2004-08-04T17:43:50Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > As mentioned, al Queda often gathers information for up to a decade before acting, a fact that renders the OP’s notion 3 to 4 years is of no consequence a non sequiter. Does that mean that people working at Citicorp will be shitting their pants in fear for the next 6-7 years? Won’t RED ALERT! RED ALERT! be meaningless after, say, 4 months? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-terror-alert-based-on-3-4-year-old-information/258187/64 "2004-08-04T17:46:51Z")
> [@Earthworm Jim](#): > > Does anyone else think Osama’s laughing at us somewhere? Every other week we’re issuing proclamations about this or that terrorist target, barricading doors, and generally giving thousands of innocent people a lot of grief. The country lives in fear. > > If I were Osama, I’d love it. He’s totally loving it, we’re destroying ourselves, he doesn’t even have to do anything. BTW I just wanted to say I love you **Badger** , you hit the nail on the head, no matter what the subject. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-terror-alert-based-on-3-4-year-old-information/258187/65 "2004-08-04T18:26:31Z")
> [@Dead Badger](#): > > What is this, make-shit-up-that-I-said day? With **Liberal,** yes. It’s the only way he can win an argument these days. > [@Earthworm Jim](#): > > Does anyone else think Osama’s laughing at us somewhere? I wouldn’t be surprised one iota if it was revealed that Osama himself was passing out signs reading “Four more years!” at Bush’s political appearances. Heck, I almost expect him to tell _Al Qaeda_ to take the rest of the year off, to improve the odds for a Bush re-election. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-terror-alert-based-on-3-4-year-old-information/258187.md?page=3)