Straight To The Point

In order to copy and be like America (in a school nerd/jock stylee) our good Government has come up with it's own Threat Level Meter, which provides no specific information whatsoever, apart from telling you how much to distrust dark-skinned people in the street.

It currently stands at severe, meaning "an attack is highly likely". So does that mean that if we don't suffer an attack, or hear about a foiled attack in the news, then it's a complete failure and cannot be relied upon?