Fear Porn Weather, Third World Service

From my archived blog (January 2016) at donaldjeffries.wordpress.com

Note: This is another in a continuing series of previously published articles. Please subscribe to my primary Substack “I Protest” at donaldjeffries.substack.com

I write this in the midst of what local and national media are breathlessly calling a “historic,” “biblical,” snowfall, the latest in a continuing series of “storms of the century.” Much as intelligence agencies have to christen their misadventures as Operation This or That, these “winter storms” must now have names as well.

Winter Storm Jonas, we were warned, by local “journalists” giddy with excitement, was going to bury the nation’s capital. Much of the country understandably applauded that concept. We were told to expect massive power outages, much as we are always told to expect massive power outages before any of these “historic” storms now.

A few nights ago, about an inch of snow basically shut down much of the Washington, D.C. area. Even though they’ve been caught with their pants down in similar situations in recent years, VDOT and their counterparts in Maryland and D.C. somehow failed to pre-treat the streets with salt and/or sand. These putrid, worthless agencies, however, will once again escape any condemnation by the mainstream media. They’re too busy deploying reporters clad in expensive headgear and scarves to stand outside in various spots and let us know it’s snowing.

Nothing reminds us of how poorly this country is being run, on all levels, than one of these simple snowfalls. The streets that used to be plowed competently and quickly are now seemingly ignored for hours, as panicked motorists unable to drive in these conditions abandon their cars in mid-lane. They have already informed the public that, since the snow is going to continue all day Saturday, they probably won’t really address the situation adequately until Sunday. Stay safe! And stay warm, until those expected power outages occur.

As a child in the 1960s and 1970s, living in the exact same geographical location, I never once experienced a power outage due to snow, ice or wind. And all our power lines were above ground. We had heavy snowfalls on occasion, but they were anonymous sorts not worthy of a cool name, and didn’t seem to do the kind of damage that these new “winter storms” do. They also didn’t come as frequently. It’s a good thing we aren’t being hit with these “winter storms” as often as the local weather people forecast that they might come.

Indeed, I often feel like I’ve moved to a new climate, even though I haven’t. Until the past ten years or so, this area simply wasn’t known for having such extreme weather. A “derecho,” whatever that is (never heard the word until they mentioned it at the time) hit a few years ago and we lost power in my neighborhood, which has underground power lines, for four days. Not knowing much about “derechos,” it just seemed like a thunderstorm to me. Thunderstorms used to, on occasion, knock power out for a few hours. Not several days.

We not only have to contend with “derechos” now, there are nor-easters, and El Nino and La Nina. With their fancy Doppler Radar, the endless slew of local meteorologists will probably find more previously unheard of phenomena that have “always” effected our weather without our knowledge. I don’t know, call me old-fashioned, but I liked the old-style weathermen; aspiring comedians like David Letterman or ex- Ronald McDonalds like Willard Scott. They seemed comforting somehow. And the weather didn’t appear to be so scary, so extreme. 

Watching some of the local news reports (I couldn’t stomach it for more than a few moments), it certainly appeared that all of the “journalists” wanted a blizzard of “epic” proportions. Scrapping their traditional policy of not competing with each other, each of the respective meteorologists seemed to want to up the others in predicting the total amount of snow accumulation. “Two feet!” “No, I say three feet!” “I say it breaks all records!” If mighty “winter storm” Jonas had actually blown out to sea or something, I can only imagine the devastated looks that would have been on their faces.

Local mainstream media outlets really have no reason for existing other than to over- hype these “winter storms” and, less frequently, potential hurricanes, tornadoes and now “derechos.” They are peddling pure fear, with huge smiles and incongruently soothing voices. Much as they are incapable of doing anything other than passing on increasingly absurd official statements in their “news” coverage, they are never going to question the suddenly “expected” power outages, or the consistent incompetence of those tasked to plow and treat the roads.

If a real, Perry White-like news director ran one of these stations, a crew of reporters would be sent to VDOT and their counterparts, in order to grill their officials about their glaring inefficiency. They would confront snow plows sitting on the side of un- plowed roads, and ask them why they weren’t plowing. They would track down plows driving aimlessly along, with their plows up in the air- a common sight in my area- and ask they why they’re driving a snow plow without….plowing.

The only attention even paid to these extreme weather events, other than passionately promoting them, is to vaguely attribute them to “climate change,” formerly known as “global warming.” The fact that our society can’t cope with situations they used to be able to cope with fifty years ago is never addressed by our media or our politicians. I have emailed my congressman, Gerry Connally, about this before. I’ll probably do so again, but I would anticipate the same non-response.

This is one essential difference all citizens should be able to fathom. Even forty years ago, while they were inherently corrupt, our leaders were at least competent when it came to essential matters like keeping the power on and clearing the roads. Now they appear to be just as incompetent as they are corrupt.

Why are Americans satisfied with such “leadership?” Why do we accept that there will be power outages during a snow fall? Why do we pass by snow plows that aren’t plowing anything without complaining? Exactly what are VDOT and their counterparts being paid for, if not to address these rare situations?

I imagine that those who live in Third World countries would scoff at my criticisms. But that’s exactly my point; this kind of monumental incompetence is standard operating procedure in the Third World. We’re supposed to be “number one,” the “greatest” country on earth. Why then are we drifting so visibly towards Third World status? Why are we increasingly getting, and passively accepting, Third World-style performance and service? How many of us now have become resigned to having Third World expectations?

It is a testament to my own Third World expectations that I am utterly astonished that our power hasn’t gone out yet. We have all contracted varying degrees of Stockholm Syndrome; grateful when our drunken, bloated national spouse takes a brief break from abusing us.

I hope no one loses power in this latest “winter storm.” I wish that at least one “journalist” would realize that potential misery and destruction isn’t cute and cuddly. I wish that some official, somewhere, would understand that it’s their job to keep the roads cleared in this kind of weather, and to quickly restore the power if it inexplicably goes out. The elderly and infirm are stuck in some of those houses, as are infants and toddlers. Yet you instruct our unquestioning “journalists” to pass along pronouncements that we should “expect” power outages. You will, of course, address those outages “as quickly as possible.” Stay safe!

During that ridiculous “derecho” a few years back, one intrepid poster on an internet forum drove by Dominion Power’s headquarters in the middle of a massive power outage, effecting thousands of homes. The poster reported that Dominion’s parking lot was full of trucks. This exemplified what are confronting now; Third World-style, in your face corruption. If that situation didn’t warrant having every truck on the road, and every employee mandated to work overtime, what situation would?

I have no idea if this is a local phenomenon, or if other parts of the country are experiencing similar “service.” One would think that the Washington, D.C. area, with some of the wealthiest suburban counties in the country, would never be in this situation. Many national politicians live in our area. They’re driving the same roads, and attached to the same woefully outdated power grids, which they strangely aren’t interested in replacing, even when it’s in their own interest.

We know that HAARP exists, and exists to conduct top-secret weather research. When Jesse Ventura tried to simply get inside their well-guarded facility in Alaska, he was forcefully reminded that the public isn’t permitted there. Why? What kind of weather research is going on at HAARP? It obviously isn’t something that prevents extreme weather; noble efforts to blow storms out to sea, or direct rain clouds over drought areas. The conclusion is inescapable that they are trying to weaponize weather, to use it for the diabolical purposes our leaders are renowned for. By any measure, since HAARP came into existence, we are seeing more and more extreme weather all over the world. But if it’s noticed at all, it will be blamed on “climate change,” and by extension on us.

A real national news outlet would send a team of reporters to those locked gates of HAARP and shame them for their incomprehensible secrecy. They would try to contact the top officials of HAARP on air. They would tell the truth about the incompetence of local and national leaders on this issue, and would investigate historical weather patterns to see if there are more extreme weather events going on now. The really “cool” late night comedians would take these leaders to task for their laughable performance, instead of blasting Sarah Palin or some other easy target.

I’m starting to understand more clearly every day just why people retire to Florida. Except for the now alarming number of sinkholes there. And the threat of “epic” hurricanes, which the Weather Channel and local “journalists” will inform us is a particularly frightening “category.” They couldn’t very well have a Weather Channel if the weather was mostly boring, could they? In fact, the Weather Channel is becoming a go-to source for older Americans. They follow Hurricane season just like most Americans follow football season.

I never used to worry about the weather. Unlike other issues our corrupt leaders trot out to distract us from their continuous misdeeds, what H.L. Mencken once called “an endless series of hobgoblins,” the weather is something we really can’t ignore. We have to drive on those unplowed roads, and see the plow trucks sitting idly by or driving with their plows in the air, if they’re seen at all. We have to contend with no power in freezing weather.

Everyone seems to need their porn fix, and this kind of fear porn is selling, like Lisa Douglas used to say on Green Acres, like hotscakes.