Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid!

I  boarded a Transpennine train from Huddersfield to Leeds today. As the train came into the station the guard beckoned us all to the front 3 carraiges. We got on the train and were informed that as there was only one guard on the train that to ensure passengers could be properly monitored only half the train would be in use. We were then informed that the threat level was 'critical'. People on the train started looking around, checking each other out. Playing 'Spot the Terrorist' I guess. I tried to avoid looking at the young Asian man opposite me. He was probably going shopping, seeing a relative, going to play football. It didn't matter really but I felt for him and anyone who might be assumed to be a Muslim on that train.

MI5 Threat levels on the likelihood of a Terrorist Attack are as follows

• LOW means an attack is unlikely.
• MODERATE means an attack is possible, but not likely
• SUBSTANTIAL means an attack is a strong possibility
• SEVERE means an attack is highly likely
• CRITICAL means an attack is expected imminently

So right now 'something horrific' somewhere could happen. To me substantial, severe, critical all just tell us all to be scared, To watch out, to stay at home and to look at other people a bit more closely than you would normally. Of course the likelihood of being bombed compared with being knocked down on the road in a traffic accident, having a medical emergency etc are not easily comaparble. If they were we could perhaps make some sort of meaningful comparison about how shit scared we should be, but then that just feeds all the paranoia that is out there anyway. The threat level alerts seem to be the very antithesis of the stoic, revived (and much revised) WW2 'Keep Calm and Carry On' motto that now graces many a coffee mug and tea towel. Are threat levels consistent with British culture and values. Well maybe not. They don't feel very 'stiff upper lip' at all really.

We are not given any information about why the threat of a terrorist attack is 'critical' rather than 'severe' or 'substantial' or where it might occur. Its not like a weather forecast but you can imagine someone standing up pointing at a map of the UK saying "the likelihood of a terrorist attack in Cornwall or the Outer Hebrides is quite low but if you're in a major conurbation like London or Manchester perhaps you should stay at home and watch a movie or the entire box set of ' Game of Thrones' from beginning to end. When we move down from 'Critical' to 'Severe' or a more comforting 'Substantial'. then you shoudl feel safer to venture outside into the sunshine (or more likely rain)

Of course there's a real danger writing something like this that an atrocity happens 30 seconds after I upload this blogpost and someone says "I told you so" but that would miss the point I am making. The threat levels are so similar to each other that all that most of them mean is to be wary, be vigilant,be very afraid.

"Alright Cooper what do you suggest we do then?" - There should be tailored announcements when MI5 knows something, with a Spokesperson making a statement. Obviously not compromising anybody or anything but giving more of a narrative than the all encompassing ' Be Afraid' threat levels. The danger is that people become unfazed by them and ignore them 

Has anyone even considered that some of the very few maniacs who are sitting in their sad flats waiting to commit these sort of atrocities may consider that one of their objectives may have been acheived if we are at a 'critical' state of alert. No bombs need to go off now, no vehicle needs to plough into a shopping centre today as 'terror' has already been acheived and has the Government approved label authenticating that fact. They can bide their time to when we are in the comfort of a 'substantial' level of threat before they act. All Government has really acheived is a delay.

I want to live in an optimistic country, where we are not told to be afraid. Where life, love and the pursuit of happiness makes us look with hope to the future. We need to regain innocence, expectation and positivity. So here's 'Sunny' by Boney M from a less complicated time. "What about the IRA?" - Sigh!