Optimitic view by government officials

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One of my children recently pulled a book entitled The great Depression: The United States in the Thirties off my bookshelf. As I glanced through chapter 2 of your book, I was reminded that the notion of optimism permeated much of the Hoover administration from 1929-1931. Businessmen thought that the Great Depression would blow over, and they made "ridiculously optimistic statements about impending prosperity." (page 56)

In the same way, the post-Y2K era will have all those whose scenarios proved correct crowing, and those who said that the situation would be less severe than it turns out to be crying "peace and prosperity".

By the way, I agree with the idea of not speaking about either scenario 0 or 10. In either case, there will be nothing that anyone need do (scenario 0) or can do (scenario 10).

-- Oliver K. Burrows III (oburrows@dwave.net), August 10, 1999

Answers

We know that both the Federal Gov't, state & local gov'ts, and corporations have been engaged in a non-stop propaganda campaign of overly optimistic fake good news. We also know that plans are in the works to increase these efforts all the way up to and beyond 1/1/2000.

I have regretfully concluded that very little of the information reported by government, corporations, and the mainstream media can be trusted to be totally factual and accurate. I have also concluded that I can count on this situation to continue and to worsen as we approach the rollover day.

Successes will not only be reported, but also exagerated. Problems and failures will be covered up. Pessimists and doubters will be increasingly maligned and ridiculed.

Being more of a Y2K moderate than an extremist (I'm expecting somewhere around 6 - 7 on the scale), I am expecting things to not be all that bad on 1/1/2000 -- the real probles will start to appear in the days and weeks following. But I am counting on a barrage of propaganda to the effect that Y2K "proved" to be nothing, that the government/corporate elites/experts were right and the sceptics were wrong.

When the problems do start to add up, I anticipate that the Y2K label will be left off of as many as possible, and of course, carefully spun with re-assurances that the problem is no big deal and will be fixed soon. It may take many years of research long after the year 2000 before we learn the full extent of the damage actually caused by Y2K.

-- Stefan Stackhouse (stefans@mindspring.com), August 13, 1999.


Stefan writes:

"When the problems do start to add up, I anticipate that the Y2K label will be left off of as many as possible, and of course, carefully spun with re-assurances that the problem is no big deal and will be fixed soon. It may take many years of research long after the year 2000 before we learn the full extent of the damage actually caused by Y2K."

I agree. Companies are desparately avoiding the Y2K-failure label on failures happening right now. I expect that they will continue to practice this misleading public relations strategy to avoid questions of liability, good faith, etcetera. Hopefully, some of us are filing away Y2K readiness statements, SEC filings, and other documents in safe boxes-- not just letting them sit on our hard drives.

I suspect that these documents will be a good start for the kind of research that Stephan proposes.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), September 05, 1999.


I watched Senators Bennett and Dodd talk about their 100 day report on PBS tonight (Sept. 22) and I am somewhat perplexed. On one hand we are assured that the U.S. is in very good shape except that Dodd doesn't have much hope for the medical field. Bennett says that their subcommittee reports and web site provide a "storehouse" of information that allows people to make their own contingency plans. Rather than a fifty car pile up, y2k will only be a fender bender reported Dodd. On the other hand, they are not so sure about the rest of the world. Bennett said although the U.S. was in very good shape, that didn't mean that all Americans would be immune from y2k effects. How do they get to this rosy picture, given the testimony that they have heard?

-- Rick Reilly (rreilly@home.com), September 22, 1999.

Oliver, Stan, and Rick -

I know this is late in coming. suffice it to say that I'm busier than a one-armed paperhanger. Having read your posting, I can say with confidence that I'm just as concerned and confused as any of you. The PBS special on Y2K was that biggest pile I've ever heard, especially when I know part of what's really happening. How anyone can say that what happens "over there" has nothing to do with us is like saying that Roosevelt could have stayed out of WWII. He tried and found he couldn't and it was almost too late. There are simply too many variables in the equation for anyone to believe we won't be effected. If so much is ready, why are so many chem plants, pipelines, airlines, etc. shuting down operations during the rollover? Why did the gov't need a 50 mil. Y2K bunker to be away for the chaos?

And the all important question - why did the gov't have tens of thousands of signs made declaring "This location under MARTIAL LAW". Don't sigh and say they didn't. We have proof that they did and that they were being shipped in innocuous Wal-Mart tractor trailers. Scary, ain't it? Pardon the slang.

As for us, here in our little non-descript rural town, well, we're neither complacent or Y2K tired. We continue to make our preps, gather our forces (so to speak), and grow. That's not to say that we don't live two lives with two minds. One continues the day to day illusion of a continuing world as we know it, making plans for next summer and so forth. The other lives with the reality that next summer is going to be a totally different place with different tasks and realities. Not pleasant but second nature by now. To think about consequences of Y2K every hour of every day would drive anyone around the bend. We manage to eliminate the majority of the thinking and just follow the prep plan tacked on the fridge by rote. Get the projects done as written down and leave the thinking for later.

Hope you have a good one.

Claudette

-- Claudette Young (laclaud@cybertrails.com), November 18, 1999.


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