March 10, 2013 10:28 pm TheUnhivedMind 1 Comment

The Psychology of Gulf Coast Victims (Pt. 2)

by Dave Hodges – thecommonsenseshow.com

March 10, 2013 – Conspiracy, Featured, Gulf Coast, Main

http://www.thecommonsenseshow.com/2013/03/10/the-psychology-of-gulf-coast-victims-pt-2/

In my first investigation into the health effects in the Gulf, data was sparse and the demonstrable health effects were mostly anecdotal. Today, we are beginning to see some very early trend curves with regard to health and the trends are frightening. However, I am afraid that the emerging health data will fall upon deaf ears. In fact, it is more likely that non-Gulf Coast residents will readily see the dangers before the actual victims in the Gulf. Subsequently, I am predicting that many in the Gulf who read this series on the Gulf will not be grateful that someone is willing to spend their time, without pay, to expose the omnipresent dangers in the Gulf. Rather, most in the Gulf Coast region who read any part of this series will react with strong anger and deny that there is even the hint of a problem. I predict that the comments section connected to my articles will demonstrate a volatility and hostility that will not be present in any other article that I have written. Why? This is because people from the Gulf Coast region will do so because of what psychologists call the normalcy bias.

Before I present the emerging hard data and the myriad of health effects in the Gulf, it is first important to examine the psychology of a crisis and why many in the Gulf have passively accepted their fate despite the omnipresent health effects. Recently, on my talk show, a Louisiana resident said that the crisis was not that bad despite having stated earlier in the same interview that nearly everyone they knew was sick and “stayed sick” since the Gulf oil spill. This person was demonstrating what has become known as the normalcy bias and most people in the Gulf are afflicted with this condition.

Before the hard data is presented on the health effects in the Gulf (Part Three), this portion of the series will examine the psychology connected to the Gulf oil spill and it will become obvious why most people in the Gulf are ignoring the dangers.

Normalcy Bias and the Gulf

Please allow me to first ask every Gulf resident who has followed the Fukashima event a question. Do you think the people living within 50 miles of the nuclear power plant should have immediately moved following the event? Most people that I know would say yes. It is easier to answer to say yes when it is not you that has to pack up everything, try and sell the home, find new work, find a new place to live and resettle the children into a new school. If you are involved in the event, your brain begins to look for disconfirming reasons which deny the seriousness of the event so that you can continue on with your life with as little of disruption as possible.

We know Fukashima was, and is, a deadly event. Why then, did most Japanese stay? They stayed for two reasons. The government adopted the position that is a dishonorable act to question the government when the government says it is safe to remain near Fukashima. This is a cultural factor not commonly found in the United States. However, the second factor involved in why the Japanese are staying and dying is common to most people and it is due to what psychologists call the normalcy bias. In short, the normalcy bias causes people to deny a danger whose effects are already in progress. Secondly, the normalcy bias also causes people to underestimate the effects of a danger once the event can no longer be denied.

The normalcy bias came into play in Japan and the normalcy bias has also come into play in the Gulf Coast region. As I publish my findings in this and subsequent parts of this series, I know that the comments section from people in the Gulf will loudly criticize my findings more than people from anywhere else in the country and this is due to the normalcy bias.

Research On Normalcy Bias

Personnel who are deeply concerned with evacuation procedures, such as first responders, architects, stadium employees and in the travel industry are keenly aware of normalcy bias and write about it in their training manuals and trade journals.

In a 1985 paper published in the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, sociologists Shunji Mikami and Ken’Ichi Ikeda at the University of Tokyo (Kakuko Miyata. 1985, Mass Media Reporting on a False Alarm. Journal of Mass Communication Studies. No.34, pp. 193-213. Japanese Society of Mass Communication, Tokyo. Osamu Hiroi ,Shunji Mikami & Kakuko Miyata 1985, A Study of Mass Media Reporting in Emergencies. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, No.3, pp.21-49.) identified the steps one is likely to go through in a disaster.

1. Disaster victims have a tendency to first interpret the situation within the context of what one is familiar with and to greatly underestimate the severity of the danger. Unfortunately, this is the moment, when a few precious seconds count, is when normalcy bias costs lives.

2. People in danger will seek information from those that they trust first and then move on to those nearby for further advice. This results in another time delay which costs lives.

3. Next, there is a tendency to try to contact family members if possible in order to seek advice.

4. Then and only then, one will begin to prepare to evacuate or seek shelter.

I think there is no question that when the mainstream media over-hypes events such as Y2K, swine flu, SARS, this helps to fuel the normalcy bias on a global scale. With so much of the media crying wolf, it can be difficult to determine when to be alarmed, when it really is not a drill. BP, through their incessant network television commercials and public service announcements have added to the normalcy bias in the Gulf by promoting the fiction that all is well.

Delaying Defensive Action Can Prove Deadly

normalcy bias 1Why won’t they help themselves? Why don’t they just leave? Undoubtedly, many Gulf Coast residents see the dangers and have taken action. However, most have not and I think it is important to answer these questions before sharing the scientific data which demonstrates how bad the conditions are in the Gulf.

According to a 2001 study by sociologist Thomas Drabek, people who are told to leave in anticipation of a hurricane or flood, waste precious time and check with four or more sources such as family, newscasters and officials, before deciding on a course of action. On 9/11, at least 70% of survivors spoke with other people before trying to leave, the NIST study shows.

There is a biological reason why people engage in the normalcy bias. It is commonly known that it takes 8–10 seconds to process new information. The stress associated with a serious event slows the reaction process. Further, when the brain cannot find an acceptable response to a situation, it often fixates on a single and sometimes default solution, which may or may not be correct. An evolutionary reason for this response could be that paralysis gives an animal a better chance of surviving an attack. It is commonly known that predators are less likely to eat prey that isn’t struggling. Therefore, if we remain calm and appear oblivious, the danger may pass over us.

Most of the people who died on 9/11, in the Twin Towers, were above the crash zone of the planes and were unable to find a way to safety. However, National Institute of Standard Technology (NIST) investigators are only now beginning to understand the actions and psychology of the thousands who had a chance to escape to calamity and did not. The NIST report found that the people who made it safely out of the World Trade Center, waited an average of 6 minutes before escaping as this data was drawn from new National Institute of Standards and Technology study in interviews with nearly 900, 9/11 survivors. The research demonstrated that some people left fairly quickly while others lingered for as long as 30 minutes. Eventually, there was no denying the danger as everyone saw smoke and smelled the jet fuel. Amazingly, even after the crisis was evident to all, most people called relatives and approximately a thousand people took the time to shut down their computers according to the NIST report.

Is There An Antidote to Normalcy Bias?

The solution to normalcy bias, according to Mikami, Ikeda, and other experts, is repetition on the part of those who can help and can subsequently have an impact in creating a paradigm shift. Repeating the warnings often enough, along with giving instructions, can create a new set of realities and can, therefore, become the “new normal”, and people will subsequently act in a timely fashion. The problem with creating an atmosphere which overcomes normalcy bias, and when precious seconds can make a difference between life and death, there may not be enough time to experience this paradigm shift.

Later parts in this series will irrefutably present data which clearly demonstrates that the health of 30-40 million people is imperiled. We have already lost nearly three years in waking Gulf Coast people up. As the reader will see, the dangers are dramatic and cannot be overstated. The impact is both immediate and long term in its effects.

Conclusion

paul revereThe toxicity of both the oil and the Corexit sprayed to “contain” the oil spill are deadly. The effects are cumulative. As I noted, we have already lost three years in which people are being exposed on an ever-increasing basis. However, I feel that if we can raise awareness as to the dangers, we can still save lives. It is safe to say that the toxins, in the Gulf, are in the air, the water in the food and in the blood of many people in the Gulf.

The health trends are so disturbing that if I lived in the Gulf region, I would immediately move my family and hope that we got out in time to avoid the various cancers and other assorted deadly illnesses resulting from this event. I know of people in the Gulf who are trying to sell their homes and move. My advice to them would be to sell their homes from their new location. Take a loss, if need be. I would let my home go into foreclosure before spending another three deadly years in the Gulf. In this series, the reader will see that these effects are not dissipating. Yes, the beaches appear cleaner. However, that is due to the fact that Corexit does not break up oil slicks as the media is inaccurately reporting. The Corexit merely buries the oil beneath the surface where its impact on marine life and our food supply is more dramatic.

Not every Gulf Coast resident is a passive recipient of their fate. However, most residents are in denial, up to 70% if the research is correct, and they will continue to accept their fate. This is tragic and I hope that by calling attention to the dangers, we can reduce the passivity level among the potential victims and increase the longevity for many of these residents.

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TheUnhivedMind on March 10, 2013 at 10:29 pm said:

The Ongoing Great Gulf Coast Holocaust

by Dave Hodges – thecommonsenseshow.com

March 9, 2013 – Conspiracy, Featured, Gulf Coast, Main

http://www.thecommonsenseshow.com/2013/03/09/the-ongoing-great-gulf-coast-holocaust-part-1/

It’s been labeled the worst environmental disaster in world history, and rightfully so, because the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is like the nightmarish gift that keeps on giving. BP and the United States government would have the public believe that all is well in the Gulf. Nothing could be further from the truth. The crisis is not only ongoing, it is worsening in its effects.

The April 20, 2010 explosion of the Deep Water Horizon Explosion will soon be back in the news again. The explosion of this oil rig represents the biggest false flag even in history, the devastation of this false flag event is still being felt and the worst is yet to come. You may have heard about the explosions near the New Madrid Fault and the thousands of generators being shipped to Louisiana by FEMA. Soon all readers of this series will connect the BP oil spill to these recent current events.

Over 34 months later, the oil spill has destroyed the welfare, livelihoods, health and futures of tens of millions of Gulf Coast residents, not to mention the destruction of the fragile ecology in the Gulf of Mexico.

Originally, BP was ordered to initiate $20 billion in restitution to the Gulf Coast victims. In retrospect, BP has never made full restitution to the victims. The overall physical health of the region has been decimated and the mainstream media and government officials reaching as high as President Obama have been complicit in covering up the geological and medical magnitude of the event. Even to this day, BP is still covertly carpet bombing Corexit in the Gulf and the much of the environmental catastrophe remains untouched by the BP cleanup crews.

This new series will expose the fact that BP, Halliburton, Goldman Sachs, Transocean and David Rockefeller’s and the Queen of England’s New York City for Profit members had foreknowledge and hedged their stock market bets in anticipation of the event. In other words, I will present incontrovertible evidence that this event was planned in order to achieve multiple goals in order to further agenda of certain special interests. Further, this series will also expose the fact that the evidence complied from the Executive Filings of President Obama indicates that it is likely that he had foreknowledge of the impending catastrophe in the Gulf. Additionally, this series will demonstrate that the events in the Gulf are part of a regional depopulation scheme. Readers will also learn that the ongoing nature of this false flag event will contribute to the total transition of the American economy to a cap and trade system which has been championed by Obama and Valerie Jarrett, from several years ago, which culminated in Obama, a supposed outsider, capturing the Presidency with very little political experience.

Starting at the beginning, it was clear that BP was going to be used as the symbolic fall guy in order to usher a new set of dynamics to the Gulf. However, the powers that be provided BP with a “soft landing” with regard to the potential punitive actions brought against BP.

Every story has a beginning, so let’s review how, what will prove to be the biggest false flag event in the history of our country, unfolded.

Destitution Rather Than Restitution

You remember Ken Feinberg, don’t you? This is the same Ken Feinberg who was in charge of denying medical coverage to 9/11 first responders which resulted in the premature deaths of many of 9/11′s first responders because of the lack of sufficient medical treatment from claims denied by him. As you read the following paragraphs, you will be shocked as to how history has been allowed to repeat itself.

BP has shamelessly used the event to falsely promote its generosity toward the residents of the Gulf by providing full restitution for tiny minority of residents, thus restoring its public image in the mind of the average American couch potato who believes everything they see on television.

Following the Gulf oil spill, there was a collective mainstream media frenzy which focused on how well BP was responding to the crisis. This was accompanied by BP’s incessant public service announcements in which the oil giant would feature one of their “average” employees professing to being a “local” in which they vowed, on behalf of BP, “to not leave until we make it right.”

All Is Well, Go Back To Sleep American Sheep

Is all well in the Gulf today? After 34 months, did BP make it right? There are two answers to this question, no and hell no! According to BP’s Youtube channel, BP has made complete restitution to the victims of the oil spill and all is indeed well and the American public should be willing to move on to other issues and forget about the Gulf.

BP’s Youtube video channel does make a compelling case that the Gulf is well on its way to a full recovery. Bryan and Brooke Zar, the owners of Restaurant des Families located in Crown Point Louisiana, claim that BP restored their restaurant to a level of profitability just in time for the 2011 spring break vacation period and that “the beaches are again clean”.

An example of BP’s Youtube channel propaganda featured Rick Scali as he describes his return to profitability as his vacation rental home business in Destin, Florida, had fallen upon tough times as a result of the oil spill. Scali claims that BP made his rental business whole when he showed BP the rental cancellation slips and was promptly paid for his losses by BP and today all, is again, well. There you have it, all is well on the Gulf Coast Front, or that is what BP, the mainstream media and the government would have the public believe.

The Coverup

Despite the voluminous coverage of the oil spill by the mainstream media, the range of coverage was actually quite narrow. The Coast Guard promptly established no fly zones over much of the impacted beach areas and the oil spill area itself. Reporters were restricted to what they could cover in the beach areas and were threatened with arrest if they strayed into “forbidden zones.” This prompted an on air emotional tirade regarding the undue restrictions on media’s coverage by CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Nor was there any meaningful coverage of Halliburton applying the highly controversial dispersants of Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527. However, there was plenty of media coverage of President Obama walking the beaches and eating the local shrimp in a thinly veiled effort, on the part of the government and BP in promoting the notion that all is well.

There are other voices, albeit quieter voices, outside of the mainstream media and the BP propaganda machine, which tell a far different side of BP’s efforts “to make it right.” Consider the case of Empire, Louisiana fisherman, Elmer Rogers, as he presents his story which differs considerable from the BP and U.S. government media spin, when at a local Town Hall meeting in Lafitte, LA., recorded by WWLT TV, from New Orleans, he pleaded with BP’s front man for Gulf compensation, Ken Feinberg, to help him when Rogers referenced his stalled claim he presented to BP for the loss of his fishing business; “I’m not asking for the world, I’m just asking for something to live on, man. That’s all I’m asking for. At Thanksgiving, I was under review. My kids barely ate. I barely ate. Christmas came. My child is 13 years old. She got nothing. You know what she woke up to? No water in the house, and no power. What you want me to do? Get on my knees and beg for it?” When at this point, Rogers dropped to his knees and said, “Look, I’m here, I’m on my knees for it. I need my money sir, to live.

[wwltv.com] Video | News | Weather | Sports

Tue Jan 11 14:18:32 PST 2011

Raw: Fisherman pleads for help

Empire fisherman Elmer Rogers appeared at the hearing held by BP claims adjuster Kenneth Feinberg and laid out in great detail the impact of not getting his needed funds has had on him. view full article

Mr. Rogers did hear from Feinberg the next day. However, Mr. Rogers was never made whole. I dare anyone to watch the Rogers video and not feel Mr. Rogers pain. I dare anybody to not watch Feinberg’s insensitive response to Rogers and not be filled with rage. And I dare anyone to read part two of this series as the stories of people like Kindra Arnesen, interviewed on The Common Sense Show, are unveiled as she speaks directly about the financial and health devastation visited upon the Gulf by BP with the assistance of the federal government (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6).

BP was ordered to pay $20 billion in restitution to the Gulf spill victims. Twenty billion dollars was not nearly enough to cover the losses in the Gulf. Conservative estimates put the damage in the Gulf at $90 billion.

Cherri Foytlin, the co-founder of Gulf Change, a community organization in Louisiana “Most of the people I care about are hungry, they’ve lost their house, they’re losing their cars…” Foytlin went on to say that “The amount paid out averages nearly 16,000 dollars per claimant. But according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the 2009 poverty threshold for a family of three was 18,310 dollars.” BP’s claims that they won’t leave until they make it right, must indicate that BP is taking up permanent residence in the Gulf. They will never make it right and they signaled this intention when BP hired Ken Feinberg to disburse the reimbursement funds to the oil spill victims.

It is clear that Feinberg is working to save as much of the government payout fund for BP as he can. To date, Feinberg has dispensed only $4 billion of the $20 billion dollars ordered for restitution. Maybe that is because the government in their complicity in covering up these events and acting as an agent to mitigate the damage to BP, is allowing BP to pay Feinberg’s firm to the tune of $850,000 per month! Talk about the fox watching the hen house.

bp1BP will never make these poor victims whole and with the help of the media and government officials, they will never have to. Financial destitution is the least of the problems for the residents of the Gulf.

The depth of this monumental conspiracy is going to be revealed in subsequent parts of this series as I have reopened the investigation into the “Ongoing Great Gulf Coast Holocaust” and the devastation will prove to far worse than originally believed.