People predicting y2k problems and preparing may increasingly be perceived as terrorists, extremists, and Nazis.

The Fall, 1998 issue (92) of the "Intelligence Report" published by the Intelligence Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, distributed "free to over 30,000 law enforcement officers adn agencies across the country", has as its cover story:

Y2KAOS Fear of Computer Bug Fuels Far Right Hysteria

Selected quotes:

"many experts see the headline-making y2k story as a tempest in a teacup"

"a large number of extremists have pegged the year 2000 as a critical date"

"early next year, the FBI will launch a nationwide assessment of the threat of domestic terrorism on and around Jan. 1, 2000"

They profile a number of rather hair-raising "y2k" sites and people, including a Rev. James Wickstrom, who is quoted as saying: "I live for the day I can walk down the road and see heads on the fence posts".

"These are people who are super-sensitive to anything that suggests the collapse of social institutions," Michael Barkun, a Syracuse University expert of millennialism, said of y2k fearmongers. "Since nuclear war really is no longer out there as a terribly likely way for civilization to end, they've got to find something else. Y2K is convenient."

"Many experts, including Barkun and the FBI's Blitzer, agree that extremists' fears and hopes surrounding Y2K have increased the danger of domestic terrorism. "It adds to apocalyptic fears," says Chip Berlet, who studies the far right for Cambridge-based Political Research Associates.

They also interview FBI man Robert Blitzer, the FBI's "point man" on handling the threat posed by domestic extremist movements. Quotes:

IR: There's ... been a lot of talk in the movement about the so-called "Y2K" computer problem. How does that fit into the picture? BLITZER: I think it's just another manifestation of their paranoia. It's like everything else that we've seen in the past - black helicopters, those kinds of things. It's another element of that paranoia about the government taking over and becoming totalitarian. This is just a newer thing for them to pound on.

IR: You recently discussed conducting a national assessment of dangers surrounding the year 2000. What are you planning ? BLITZER: I was speaking not so much of a formal assessment as an informal polling of all FBI field officers prior to the year 2000. We want to see what they're hearing through their contacts just to get a sense, a national sense, of what's going on.

-RC

-- Runway Cat (runway_cat@hotmail.com), December 09, 1998

Answers

Now, now. Don't get all worked-up over nothing. Would your government want to intrude on what private citizens are doing, when, how, where and with whom as they prepare for that silly little Y2K tempest-in-a-teacup thing? Of course they wouldn't. So just don't you worry one little bit about government agencies monitoring you. the Central Scrutinzer PS, If you wouldn't mind, please lean over a little to the right as you're typing, your body is shielding part of your computer monitor's emissions and we can't tune-in everything that's diplayed on your screen.

-- central scrutinizer (watchdesk@nsa.gov), December 09, 1998.

What's left to be said? We all pretty much know what's going to happen. I don't fear terrorists, I fear my government, can I see a raise of hands?

-- Watching My Back & Lips (WatchingMyBack@lips.com), December 09, 1998.

Big Brother is going to be awfully busy trying to peg & label everybody discussing Y2K. Especially since the numbers are going up up up daily. I think Big Brother *should* start listening carefully for a change. Maybe the facts will make them pay more attention to smart IT management and going all-out, #1 priority to FIX as much as possible before TSHTF. I for one would be thrilled if everybody got very busy and fixed lots of code and the melt-down ended up being just a "paranoia" joke, and silliness brand. But I think it's too late for that rosy scenario ...

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 09, 1998.

We don't have to wait for Newt and his ilk to implement country-wide piss tests, or for armies of Ken Starrs to man the banks' "Know your Customers" booths. The "mark of the beast" (electronic promise to pay) is already in our "right hand" (handing credit card to cashier) or "forehead" (reciting it verbally during commerce). This is the civilization that we chose to build, for better or worse, just as the good book says. I just hope we are successful (?) in "remediating" it.

Hmmm. still think there's something to that upside-down 666 in 1999...

-- a (a@a.a), December 09, 1998.

You talk about guns more than anyone else on this discussion group, Mr. Cat. You're the one who should be concerned about Big Brother watching.....

-- Juanito (hispanic@mexico.com), December 09, 1998.

Dear a, It was also said that 666 x 3 = 1998. Go figure?

-- lparks (lparks@eurekanet.com), December 09, 1998.

lparks: yeah but when you turn your laptop upside down, 666 x 3 only looks like E x 999. not much to write home about there...

-- a (a@a.a), December 09, 1998.

'course if the government already considers you a subversive, it don't much matter, now does it?

oh and BTW, IMNSHO, to the exact extent that people feel compelled to post using pseudonyms, the bad guys have already won, through simple intimidation.

Arlin Adams

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), December 09, 1998.

Juanito: you are correct. Those kinds of statements may in fact be a crime. I'm outa this forum, for good.

So long folks!

-RC

-- Runway Cat (Runway_Cat@hotmail.com), December 09, 1998.

I wonder what name Mr. Cat will be returning under?

-- Juanito (hispanic@mexico.com), December 09, 1998.

Juanito!

-- Cat Scan (juanito@who.where), December 09, 1998.

I hope Leo is reading this. Leo and any programmers.

-- Juanito (hispanic@mexico.com), December 09, 1998.

ROFL RC! oops, I mean CS.

(no no no sir, I wasn't speaking to the Runaway Cat...he ranaway! No idea who it was either, honest.)

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 10, 1998.

# # # 19981210

"BIG BROTHER( s )" will be _rendered "little brother ( s )" after -- if not before! -- 01/01/00! ... That's the only "peril" _THEY perceive. ... Ironic, isn't it? Too little time ( for fixing ), for a change, _is the benign friend of the citizen-victim.

Regards, Bob Mangus # # #

-- Robert Mangus (rmangus@mail.netquest.com), December 10, 1998.

RC, I hope you were just kidding! I think that your posts are very thought provoking and sincere, and I sure hope you are not abandoning us when we need you most!!

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), December 10, 1998.

The FBI lobbies to have the ability to tap into any phone at will, at customer expense, and they wonder why we're "paranoid?" They want clipper chips in every computer that allow them to de-code anything you write, and they wonder why we're "paranoid?" They serve a warrant on a quiet, utterly law-abiding religious group with guns blazing, practice psychological warfare on them, burn them and their children to a crisp, bulldoze the crime scene, propagandize the country about what "whackos" they were (we're supposed to believe the kids are better off dead?!), and they wonder why we don't put our trust in them? They infiltrate militias with money order and mail-fraud schemes to discredit them, tar them all with the same "racist" brush until anyone who reads and understands the Constitution becomes a "right wing extremist" - the same COINTELPRO (do a search on it) scheme that they used infiltrate and dismantle the Black Panthers and the Students for a Democratic Society in the 60s. They car-bombed Earth First. They've been implicated in the assasination of Martin Luther King - and with their record, are they suprised when people believe it? They keep files on union members, outspoken priests - anyone who has "suspect" political beliefs. Every tax dollar they spend on this is THEFT - every hour they spend on this totalitarian muscle-flexing is an hour spent NOT catching interstate car thieves and serial killers, which is THE JOB WE PAY THEM FOR WITH OUR HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS.

And what about "civil forfeiture?" It's mere robbery. Heinous activity for any police force under our Constitution. And they want us to play along with their ineffective, bribery-saturated "war on drugs." They're fighting crime with more crime, and we're all the worse for it.

I'm sick of it. I'm sick of being told that OTHER nations have secret police, but we are "free." It's utter bullshit. I'm sick of being called a "right wing extremist" because I believe in privacy, property rights, and that the Constitution of the United States of America is indeed the Supreme Law of the Land. I'm not right-wing. I'm not extreme. The brutality and lawlessness of the FBI and their ilk is "extreme." You can come and tag me now, you arrogant, hammerheaded bastards. And I know you will, because keeping tabs on an opinionated citizen like me is EASIER than catching real crooks, isn't it?

E.

-- E. Coli (nunayo@beeswax.com), December 10, 1998.

E. Coli wrote: >I'm sick of it. I'm sick of being told that OTHER nations have >secret police, but we are "free." It's utter bullshit. I'm sick of >being called a "right wing extremist" because I believe in privacy, >property rights, and that the Constitution of the United States of >America is indeed the Supreme Law of the Land. I'm not right-wing. >I'm not extreme. The brutality and lawlessness of the FBI and their >ilk is "extreme." You can come and tag me now, you arrogant, >hammerheaded bastards. And I know you will, because keeping tabs on >an opinionated citizen like me is EASIER than catching real crooks, >isn't it?

Hear hear!!! ditto ditto and ditto! Bobbi +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Civilization is the process of setting man free from men." -- Ayn Rand -- +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Y2k? http://www.buzzbyte.com/ Got water? Got Beans? Take the Y2k Preparation Quiz!

-- Bobbi (volfnat@northweb.com), December 10, 1998.

E. Coli wrote: >I'm sick of it. I'm sick of being told that OTHER nations have >secret police, but we are "free." It's utter bullshit. I'm sick of >being called a "right wing extremist" because I believe in privacy, >property rights, and that the Constitution of the United States of >America is indeed the Supreme Law of the Land. I'm not right-wing. >I'm not extreme. The brutality and lawlessness of the FBI and their >ilk is "extreme." You can come and tag me now, you arrogant, >hammerheaded bastards. And I know you will, because keeping tabs on >an opinionated citizen like me is EASIER than catching real crooks, >isn't it?

>Bobbi wrote: >Hear hear!!! ditto ditto and ditto! Bobbi >+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Couldn't agree with you more. Bill

-- Bill (billvan@cheerful.com), December 10, 1998.

A prophetic quote from one of history's great men.

"The spirit of the times may alter, will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless. A single zealot may commence persecutor, and better men be his victims. It can never be too often repeated that the time for fixing every essential right on a legal basis is while our rulers are honest and ourselves united. From the conclusion of (their) war (for independence, a nation begins) going down hill. It will not then be necessary to resort every moment to the people for support. They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. They will forget themselves but in the sole faculty of making money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights. The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of (that) war will remain on long, will be made heavier and heavier, till (their) rights shall revive or expire in a convulsion." --Thomas Jefferson

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), December 10, 1998.

It's ironic that our founding fathers would now be considered right- wing extremists...though of course that's just what Jefferson predicted.

to e.Coli's list I'll add our government's leadership in cracking down on encryption technology worldwide, and the agreement with Europe that lets them tap our internet and Iridium conversations without warrants...

-- Shimrod (none@none.com), December 11, 1998.

YOU go E...good answer. But I stated before in another thread that We havent had rights in along time. Already the uprising over all the emails sent regarding Know your customer has received footage in our local paper, and you got it....they blamed anti gov groups for sending them, along with a small mention of y2k. I tell you, we havent had rights in along time, they are gone, although we would like to believe we do. So all these people wrote, emailed etc. expressing displeasure with the Know your customer stuff and NOTHING will be done, it will go forward, you watch. Sad, but true.. Nothing surprises me and they will probably pass laws to "retrieve" our prepardensess items also. Of course they cant get 'all' of us, but they will get what they can.

-- consumer (private@aol.com), December 11, 1998.

If anyone is interested, here is a great quote that pretty much sums it up. Even for that age, there were some enlighted people. I also have to give two thumps up to E.Coli on his comments.

"If our lives are endangered by plots or violence or armed robbers or enemies, any and every method of protecting ourselves is morally right." - Cicero, Roman orator, 1st Century, B.C. -

Thanks for the chance to voice off on this subject!

F.R.E.E

-- F.R.E.E (nomans@slave.com), December 11, 1998.