Hysteria

[mairving]

Is it just me or are people more hysterical/paranoid in the US today? Recently one of our local post offices was evacuated because of a package with a strange smell. The hazmat people came in dressed in their gear the package was opened. Was it anthrax, nerve gas? Nope, it turned out to be spoiled shrimp. Which if you have ever smelled spoiled shrimp, it's much worse than nerve gas.

Similar stories are happening all over the US. Are we being too paranoid or just careful?

[mbossman2]

I think it is a "damned if you do and damed if you don't situation"

If the government reacts and the alarm turns out to be false, then there is a group standing by to shout "see how stupid they are, they don't know what they (the gov't) is doing"

If they don't react and people are injured or killed, then there is another group saying the exact same thing.

This is also an extension to the CIA (and other intelligence agencies), if they don't have the information because of pressure not to employ the kind of people they need (generally not the most savory characters who may have other sideline jobs, like being a criminal, drug dealer etc), they get blasted. If they do employ these people, then there is another group saying "how can you employ such evil, no-good, rotten scoundrels, the USA should have to deal with these types"