a real subway security threat?

You must question the timing of it, especially when Washington raises the red flags--sorry, the code yellow flags--underplaying the story that got overplayed here. With cops everywhere visible in force today, with police car lights flashing outside subway stations all over Manhattan, with Bloomberg skipping last night's absurd political-theater debate at the Apollo, you have to question the timing. The debate was really amateur night, with more than enough silly yes/no questions posed to Ferer and Ognibene ("Do you own an iPod?").
But was this intelligence really 'actionable', really requiring a massive police presence on this day before a major holiday weekend? A credible threat emanating from Iraq, where big talkers are a dime a dozen? An alleged baby-stroller bomb or briefcase bomb? Although anything is plausible in 2005, and while Ringelmatz hasn't got a clue, it sure raises the ugly spectres of last year's presidential election and those orange alerts. Ringelmatz heard one caller on the Brian Lehrer Show this morning speak of George Orwell's 1984 but wonders if the present doublespeak isn't more evocative of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World instead....especially considering how many of us are doped up on dopamine or ignoring the news in order to stay sane or stay safe. Or how many of us did not ride the subway today? Ringelmatz rode six stretches, one on the A train with two ladies obviously just arrived from the Philippines with enormous suitcases--and not one passenger batted an eyelash, not even the one reading the Post's screaming cover story. Probably none of the passengers read the transcript of Bush's "major address" on terrorism yesterday either. All we really know is that somewhere three men have been detained.

Tags:   bloomberg, ferrer, mayor, nypd, security, subway

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Posted on 10/7/2005 ( Permanent Link )
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