Bill Press on CNN's 7/14/1998 Crossfire explained the problem last night. It is not that we have an unsolvable problem. It is that we have gloom-and-doomer's like De Jager! And he wears a scarey tie!

http://cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/9807/14/cf.00.html

I am really glad there is not actually anything to worry about! I'm going back to using 2-digit years in all MY programs. You all just worry too much!

-- Anonymous (Anonymous@anonymous.com), July 15, 1998

Answers

I ran across that Crossfire last night while flipping channels and I stayed with it - the scariest thing to me wasn't Peter's tie, it was that Pat Buchanan seemed seriously concerned and very reasonable.

Rep. Kucinich was very defensive and kept trying to explain how Y2k is a business problem, and is not due to something the government did or didn't do. He seems to believe that President Clinton's speech yesterday demonstrates that the administration is right on top of the problem.

Bill Press was an ass - in additon to his comments about the tie, he stated that Y2k is totaly overblown and is almost entirely a plot by consultants like de Jager.

Peter de Jager was incredibly articulate and clear about the problem, despite a very hostile atmosphere - he did bristle a bit when Press accused him of spreading doon and gloom in an effort to profit (and to sell ties). He also acted as a moderator of sorts, continuously steering the 'conversation' back to the real issues and calming Buchanan's fears that faulty chips in computers stolen by the Russians would cause them to accidentaly nuke us.

I found the show fascinating. It had one of everything. A defensive politician; a smug representative of the know-nothing crowd; a concerned, technically ignorant citizen; and a well-informed, articulate advocate of hoping for the best while planning for the worst.

Overall, I'd rate it an 8 outa 10 - unlike the Mclaughin Group last Sunday (which also included Buchanan). That show consisted of Mclaughin shouting at three other people for half an hour and was essentially useless.

-- Ed Perrault (EdPerrault@Compuserve.com), July 15, 1998.

Ed, I caught the Crossfire show too. I found at times that Rep. Kucinich and de Jager were in agreement and not on opposing sides. At times, Bill Press was off in a corner by himself. Hey, the show is not high level news. It is more entertainment than news. Bill Press had a role to play. He had to play the opposition. Who knows what he really thinks and says about Y2K behind the set.

-- Joyce (meremere@aol.com), July 15, 1998.

Ya, know, it's good to see that some things never change, in particular, people like Bill Press, who was a self-important bozo while doing talk radio in Los Angeles, before hitting the big time on national television. Named himself Bill Press: True American. Sadly, many lemmings think he's a swell guy, and want to be True Americans, just like Bill. What would we all like to be when we all grow up?

Nice to find folks online who know snake oil salesmen when they smell them.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), July 16, 1998.

If any of you ever catch me agreeing with Bill Press would you please shoot me.

-- Joe Stout (joewstout@iswt.com), July 16, 1998.

Saw John Koskinen on Charley Rose shortly after reading the transcript of his press conference (and Bill' banal speech). First time I've seen him in action. WE'RE DOOMED

Hal

So many idiots. So few comets.

-- Hallyx (Hallyx@aol.com), July 17, 1998.