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Tuesday, October 10, 2006
How do we know it’s a crisis?
If the facts of an event are iffy and outside anything we’ve ever experienced, is it a crisis? Or are we in denial?As a crisis manager, it’s difficult for me to peg all this stuff with North Korea. They break into the news to tell us a rogue nation is now a nuclear power. But maybe not. We have to wait for verification that it really was a nuclear detonation. Then the word is pretty much in agreement that it was a nuclear explosion. But maybe not as big as touted by the North Koreans.
Now, we have reports of a second explosion. Is it nuclear? Is it an accident? Why didn’t the North Koreans tout the explosion in advance as they did the first one? Just a few hours later, the explosion was redefined as an earthquake.
And throughout all this is the “diplo-speak” from the people we look to in times of national uncertainty.
The general consensus is it’s a terrible thing. Whatever that “thing” is. And “steps” will be taken. But no hint of what those steps will be.
As a mother, I see all this on another level. First, just what the heck happened? And why don’t I know the specifics. How did the kids manage to do so much damage? Reportedly, allegedly.
As a mother, I back up my threats with action. As a mother and grandmother, I’m scared, very scared, for the world.
Is it good crisis management to keep us guessing about what happened and what’s going to happen? Or is it ignorance and incompetence? Either way, I HATE IT! What about you?
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