If you let him know about it he will turn it into another Trump channel.
Y’all should be grateful. It could have been used for dick pics. It could still be used for dick pics.
Anyone have an explanation about why people can’t block these calls?
Ordinarily I’d think that conservatives would be up in arms about another intrusion by Big Government, but something tells me they’ll go along with this.
Well, you know how you can’t block the Emergency Alert System from your TV?
Easy. Turn the phone off.
It appears that it will be a brief message saying that it is a test and there is no cause for alarm.
Trump’s voice? That’s the sticking point.
It’s a text message like the Amber Alert system
TBH, I’m okay with it as long as the President is saying evacuate the area of a hurricane or something like that. What I am wondering is how long before the phrase ‘fake news’ makes it into one of those warnings? And what happens if/ when it does occur?
I can’t block GEICO ads, or promos for some upcoming stupid show, or other shit extraneous to the show I’m watching. Maybe I’m wrong, but since I’ve never seen an Emergency Alert on Amazon Prime or Showtime, I suspect they aren’t shown there.
I pay for Amazon Prime and Showtime. I don’t pay for NBC or MeTV (antenna). I understand that commercial and informational (not only Emergency Alerts, but “breaking news”) interruptions are intrinsic to the media I get for free.
I pay for my cellphone. It seems to me that if I don’t want the government interrupting me, even for what some agency thinks is a good reason, I should be able to stop it on a medium for which I am paying.
But this is a sidestep from my original question: Why shouldn’t people be able to block these messages if they choose?
Because if nuclear missiles are incoming, you might want to stop binge-watching for awhile.
How many elections have occurred since Trump became President?
A few dozen.
But he hasn’t had the ability to shut down the Internet. He’d have to declare emergency powers to do that. And a cell-phone announcement would be the ideal way to let people know why there’s no more independent internet, radio, or television:
“Because we are under attack, I have shut down all other communications except for this texting function. I will be your source of information during the attack. Please obey all instructions given to you by the Trump Guard, or expect to be imprisoned or executed as an Enemy of the State. Sincerely, your president-for-life, Donald J. Trump. MAGA!”
This.
Eh, if I’m about to die, might as well finish Castle Rock.
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No, let’s face the reality. This is what a Trump alert would look like:
“My fellow Americans. I, President of the United States Donald Trump, am addressing you at this time of national emergency. I can now tell you that the reports of an asteroid heading towards Earth, which I have been calling fake news for several weeks, are true. It will be striking Earth in about two hours so you should all get inside the deep underground shelters which you should have begun building several weeks ago. As the asteroid nears Earth, I want to reassure you of the three issues I am sure are upmost on your mind. First, I am safe. It turns out there’s a deep underground bunker under the Smithsonian set aside for our nation’s cultural treasures. I have signed an Executive Order reassigning it to the President’s use so I will survive the impact. Second, I will remain tremendously rich. I delayed announcing the news about the asteroid for a couple of months so I could sell off my properties along the coasts. You will be relieved to hear I sold off the last of them this morning at a huge profit. Third, this is all Obama’s fault.”
I am waiting for Mueller to use this to tell me the emergency is over.
The system has a 90-character limit.
They’re doing their first test now. That suggests very heavily that this is not the old system that was already in place, as surely that would have been tested long ago. This sure sounds like something new–even if it uses the preexisting feature.
I see the rationale of having an alert system. I do not, however, see any reason for the President to be involved with it. Sure, if the actual emergency is based on top secret info, then the president may be the one who tells FEMA (if they don’t already have top clearance). But, otherwise, FEMA is supposed to be the one assessing threats and deciding the appropriate action. The President is not supposed to be directly involved.
I am fine with an early alert system. I am not fine with a presidential alert system.