For the last few days I have been watching Hurricane Hilary. Now that she has largely blown out as the old windbag she was I’m focusing on the way the information regarding this was manipulated. I’m going to run with my list which started as 12 ways to tell you are looking at an Op, which is now up to 20. I’ve already thought of 2 more. I’ll keep it running. Maybe I too can get up to 100 likes for the first time?
To delve deeper into what I mean with that post though, let’s consider a hypothetical scenario in which a heavily trafficked bridge tragically collapses, killing a few dozen people. In one of these hypothetical scenarios this was just an unfortunate tragedy. In the other it was an Op. What might these two scenarios look like?
A: Bridge collapse number 1 (Unfortunate Tragedy) involved an Eartquake hitting nearby on August 26. An investigation team is immediately sent to the scene comprised of structural engineers, transportation officials, local government and seismologists. They transparently air all of the smartphone videos of people in the area, interview witnesses and victims and write up a detailed forensic report. During this unfortunate tragedy it becomes clear that the municipality which owned and maintained the bridge had cut corners on maintenance due to declining tax revenue. A key structural support of the bridge had been weakened the prior year due to flooding in the channel. This, combined with the unusually strong Earthquake in the area and the rush hour traffic, were determined to have caused the collapse. Safety engineers propose building stronger bridges in the future which are more able to withstand earthquakes. The local municipality pledges money to maintaining their bridges with safety inspections every year. The new bridge will be built by Webuild SpA, which manages large infrastructure projects all over the world. Locals build a small memorial nearby the bridge where their loved ones lost their lives.
The victims of this bridge collapse are compensated for their losses. Because this event is, while tragic, rather mundane, there isn’t much to say about it. The world moves on and it is covered only occassionally in local news channels.
B: Bridge collapse number 2 (An Op) involves a Hurriquakenado, a statistically one in a quadrillion chance event where a Hurricane, an Earthquake and a tornado hit the area at the same time. This has led to the collapse of a bridge with extraordinary historical and cultural significance. Let’s call it the Harvest Bridge. The collapse occurs on November 9th. At first authorities say that the storm is a nothing burger and that locals should go about their business as usual, so many people are out on the roads. There had also been some panic about the incoming tropical storm before this, so others are still gathering supplies.
Because of the already unprecedented weather conditions of a hurricane and then a tornado forming, almost all local roads were closed in the area, funneling even more rush hour traffic onto this bridge than would normally be there. The media immediately blames this event on climate change and asks everybody to just stop driving, ya’ll. Some experts are trotted on TV as search and rescue is still looking for bodies in the flooded channel. They trot out ideas for new carbon credit monitoring systems to stop the unprecedented global boiling.
The search and rescue mission is screwy. Several witnesses and victims claim that they heard explosions right before the bridge collapsed. Some homeless people living under the bridge who got out before the big collapse claim that their cell phone video of the aftermath was confiscated. “We were just running for our lives, man.” Says Rabio Gonzalez to an independant journalist. “You don’t have time to think in that shit.”
Susan Delores, a God fearing Christian woman, recounts her story from being on the bridge. “When we heard the explosions I just screamed at my husband to drive faster!” She recounts breathlessly. “I don’t know how I survived when the car came into the channel, I just held onto a boulder and prayed. My husband didn’t make it.” She recounts tearfully. Her testimony is aired on a few alternate media channels.
Authorities are brought on board including one man who was the manager of the Miami nightclub fire. “Do not go into this area.” He says with authority. “It is closed to the public. It is closed to the press. All statements must be from our media team.”
The mainstream news covers the story of Karino Wokeday, an actress who was on the bridge. “Like we were so scared! There was this Earthquake and with the storm and the funnel cloud it was so terrifying! When is somebody going to do something to stop climate change?”
President Biden flies in to meet with Wokeday (she insists to CNN in advance that her last name is prounced woke eee day, after her Native American roots) and other survivors. Biden speaks about the bridge collapse tragedy to the nation. “This event marks the 51st year since the Air Force installed itself on these grounds. Many patriots lost their lives fighting in this war, but they will never win. God save the Queen, man.” There is some polite clapping. Nobody comments on his remarks.
Susan Delores is having trouble getting compensation for the loss of her husband, who had been working full time so she could raise her chidren as a stay at home mother. As the months go by everything becomes about delay, deny and dead. Everything is a stuggle for her.
For the executives who took out a very lucrative insurance policy just a few months before the bridge collapse, it has been a time of great celebration. They raise their glasses to advertising agency McKinsey, who just gave them a dream come true. “Here’s to the good life!”
In both cases the conspiracy theorists abound. On the first bridge collapse it turns out that August 26th is the day that Women got the right to vote via the 19th amendment! The city in which the bridge collapsed held historical significance too! Sides become embattled in deep embittered debate. On one side everything is an Op. On the other side nothing is.
Always follow the money flows…
"Hurriquakenado, a statistically one in a quadrillion chance"
🤣🤣🤣❤🙏🌹
I love your work!!!! Fun, and scarily true!