Would they Really Tell Us of Unavoidable Global Cataclysm?

Diana Hignutt · Mar 20, 2012

Indulge my fevered delusions for just a moment.

If there was some sort of unavoidable diaster headed our way...

1) Would the governmental authorities tell us?
2) Should they?

Or would they try and keep a lid on it for as long as possible to avoid panic in the streets?

Now, don't get all worried on me. This is all hypothetical. I just saw the doom porn 2012 again... so never fear...just take the stupid poll for me, and comment if you like.

ETA: Stupid fever. Forgot the poll. Okay, just, if you would, Y or N for 1) & 2). Thanks.

Priene · Mar 20, 2012

If there's an unavoidable global catastrophe coming, it doesn't matter either way. It's just rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic. But there isn't.

seun · Mar 20, 2012

An asteroid heading our way? That sort of thing? I don't think they would tell us officially, but I also don't think it would take much for a rumour to start and for people to put two and two together.

As for whether they should...tough one. I can see the way of thinking that says don't tell the public, but I think that would do more harm than good. Of course, if we're all going to die, then it doesn't make much difference in the end.

Cheery thoughts all round.

Nymtoc · Mar 20, 2012

Put your fears aside. If "they" don't tell us, Wikileaks will.

Diana Hignutt · Mar 20, 2012

seun said:
An asteroid heading our way? That sort of thing? I don't think they would tell us officially, but I also don't think it would take much for a rumour to start and for people to put two and two together.

As for whether they should...tough one. I can see the way of thinking that says don't tell the public, but I think that would do more harm than good. Of course, if we're all going to die, then it doesn't make much difference in the end.

Cheery thoughts all round.

Ah, but we're aren't in short supply of such rumors now, yet most of us don't believe them. Why would we start to believe them even if they were actually true? Evidence is bandied about, and most don't know how to properly sift through it. It's not something that most people would want to believe, so they probably just wouldn't anyway.

I don't know.

And, no, there is no reason to panic, I have no evidence or such of any sort of event--well, I do--(the sun ain't gonna be around forever you know) but we have a while I'm told.

Just curious. Illness makes me think of doom.

Archerbird · Mar 20, 2012

Of course they shouldn't tell. And they wouldn't. It wouldn't matter anyway. Would you want to know, or would you rather be ignorant of the big fat piece of fossilised horsedung heading straight at you?

Btw - Doom Porn=Brilliant!

rwam · Mar 20, 2012

In the case of impending doom via asteroid, they won't have to. www.spaceweather.com will.

Scroll down to the bottom and take a looksie at the asteroids that are considered 'near earth'. No joke...one will pass within 1 lunar distance of earth on April 1st.

Alpha Echo · Mar 20, 2012

Archerbird said:
Of course they shouldn't tell. And they wouldn't. It wouldn't matter anyway. Would you want to know, or would you rather be ignorant of the big fat piece of fossilised horsedung heading straight at you?

Btw - Doom Porn=Brilliant!

I would rather not know! I would. Honestly. You can only do so much. But if the end is coming, it's coming. I don't want to have time to worry about it. I want to keep enjoying this life I love.

rwam said:
In the case of impending doom via asteroid, they won't have to. www.spaceweather.com will. Scroll down to the bottom and take a looksie at the asteroids that are considered 'near earth'. No joke...one will pass within 1 lunar distance of earth on April 1st.

My husband told me about that asteroid. I promptly forgot about it and put my head back in the sand.

Plot Device · Mar 20, 2012

Threat level assessment, Diana.

If they KNOW there's no surviving it, and that the whole planet would be toast, they probably wouldn't give a rip either way.

But if there's a way to rescue SOME people, and rescue SOME semblance of civilization, they will enact a society-wide level of triage and only rescue who they can and then let the rest of us perish. And so of course they won't tell "the rest of us" who are doomed to die because if they did, that would jeopardise the security of whatever the method of societal triage is.

alleycat · Mar 20, 2012

If the impending disaster was discovered, most likely no one would have gotten around to actually reading the report. Or they would still be appointing a committee to study the problem.

Chrissy · Mar 20, 2012

Alpha Echo said:
I would rather not know! I would. Honestly. You can only do so much. But if the end is coming, it's coming. I don't want to have time to worry about it. I want to keep enjoying this life I love.

My husband told me about that asteroid. I promptly forgot about it and put my head back in the sand.

+1

Unless knowing about it, and preparing for it, would help me survive, or at least save my kids--and that's assuming there would be something left worth surviving for.

So my answer is (c) It depends.

*wanders off to play in sandbox*

Devil Ledbetter · Mar 20, 2012

Wait. Aren't they reporting every day on The Weather Channel?

It's only been 40 degrees above normal temperatures for March in Michigan all week. High of 85 today.

seun · Mar 20, 2012

What if it was a zombie apocalypse? Can I borrow a gun off someone? And have someone teach me how to shoot?

Diana Hignutt · Mar 20, 2012

seun said:
What if it was a zombie apocalypse? Can I borrow a gun off someone? And have someone teach me how to shoot?

Good call, I'd better cut the neighbors' heads off, just to be sure...

RichardGarfinkle · Mar 20, 2012

seun said:
What if it was a zombie apocalypse? Can I borrow a gun off someone? And have someone teach me how to shoot?

Zombies again. I'm fed up with zombies. Give me an intelligent monster trying to destroy everything.

Zombies are just self delivering fertilizer.

Diana Hignutt · Mar 20, 2012

Plot Device said:
Threat level assessment, Diana.

If they KNOW there's no surviving it, and that the whole planet would be toast, they probably wouldn't give a rip either way.

But if there's a way to rescue SOME people, and rescue SOME semblance of civilization, they will enact a society-wide level of triage and only rescue who they can and then let the rest of us perish. And so of course they won't tell "the rest of us" who are doomed to die because if they did, that would jeopardise the security of whatever the method of societal triage is.

So, you're saying that the government would get into their alleged Deep Underground Bunkers, nice and tidy, before letting the cat out of the bag. Or to quote 2012:

Adrian: The Director of the Lourve was an enemy of humanity?

Anheiser: When he called a press conferance, yeah, he was...

Priene · Mar 20, 2012

If on the off-chance an asteroid does appear heading for Earth, I predict a massive increase in space programme expenditures by all governments, effective immediately. That's how we'd know that one was coming.

RichardGarfinkle · Mar 20, 2012

Disturbingly, the answer to this may be theological.

If the world is going to end and there is nothing to do about it, the question becomes whether the government should inform people so that those who are worried about an afterlife (of which I am not one) can do whatever prep they feel is necessary.

Manuel Royal · Mar 20, 2012

Governments are made of people; people in groups of more than three aren't capable of keeping secrets that big.

Alpha Echo · Mar 20, 2012

Chrissy said:
Unless knowing about it, and preparing for it, would help me survive, or at least save my kids--and that's assuming there would be something left worth surviving for.

So my answer is (c) It depends.

Good caveat.

*rejoins you in the sand*

RichardGarfinkle said:
Zombies again. I'm fed up with zombies. Give me an intelligent monster trying to destroy everything.

Zombies are just self delivering fertilizer.

I have no idea. I never understood what made Zombies all popular anyway. I don't get the craze.

*back in the sand - this time so no one will get me for hating on Zombies*

Don · Mar 20, 2012

Hahahaha. Big Gov and Big Media are firm believers in the mushroom theory of communication. They do everything they can to keep us in the dark and feed us bullshit, and that sure wouldn't change if something major was happening.

Look no farther than the primaries for myriad examples of establishment bias.

Don · Mar 20, 2012

Manuel Royal said:
Governments are made of people; people in groups of more than three aren't capable of keeping secrets that big.

Two words: Manhattan Project

Diana Hignutt · Mar 20, 2012

Manuel Royal said:
Governments are made of people; people in groups of more than three aren't capable of keeping secrets that big.

Well, I guess we can get rid of the CIA and NSA now, then...

Marya · Mar 20, 2012

A couple of years ago I was on a crowded plane about to land in Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris when the pilot realised there was a flat tyre and warned us to brace for impact.

Very few people are stoic, clear-headed or calm in the face of imminent catastrophe and it would be vastly preferable not to have to cope with mass hysteria as we wanted for the apocalypse.

icerose · Mar 20, 2012

No the government wouldn't tell the public unless they figured out to use it for their own gain.

Mass panic and histeria helps no one, so that wouldn't serve anyone to just plop it out, but I could see them trotting out cold war duck and cover type of tactics to keep the public doing what they want the public to do.

Would they Really Tell Us of Unavoidable Global Cataclysm?

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