http://www.y2kculture.com/politics/19990301.stockpiling.html SENATORS SUGGEST STOCKPILING
When the Senate's Y2K chairmen took to the Sunday talk shows, they recommended Y2K stockpiling. What caused this sudden about-face?
March 1, 1999

-- Declan McCullagh (declan@y2kculture.com), March 01, 1999

Answers

I have been trying for days to access the y2kculture site, specifically for the story on Social Security. I have been unsuccessful. Anyone else having the same problem? Any suggestions Declan?

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), March 01, 1999.

Steve, I can get there OK. Try again?

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), March 01, 1999.

There's a big difference between what they said and "survivalism." They recommended preparing for a bad storm as opposed to the longer-term preparations recommended by the doomer crowd.

-- Buddy (buddy@bellatlantic.net), March 01, 1999.

Probably last week's flurry of Y2K congressional testimonies, Declan.

Also, they may be recognizing they're "it" for Y2K leadership, since almost everybody else around the country -- elected and non-elected alike -- is abdicating personal responsibility for preparing the people of this country, for Y2K "survival" not the computers.

(It's the people, not the heavy metal, that is "important." Hopefully they'll all wise up in time, or not).

Diane, *Big Sigh*

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 01, 1999.

Also ...

... "This, of course, is completely opposite to what the electric utility industry has been saying about Y2K, and Bennett's staff appears to have ignored the considerable amount of information available on electric utility progress on Y2K. ..."

Right. And just last week in California a representative from Intel Corporation testifies at a State of CA Y2K meeting, that PG&E "will not" guarantee they'll have power.

Who ya gonna believe?

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 01, 1999.

I think that this is in line with the general spoonfeeding of info that we have seeing over the last couple of months. With every spoon full, there is just a little bit more. Now, we are informed that Y2K is real, serious, and will involve a certain amount of power disruptions and maybe even food shortages. But -- for now -- only temporary, like a bad snow storm.

Watch how the pace will continue, and the story will get just a little worse each time. Well, it may be more like a tornado rather than a snow storm. And it may last more than a few days, maybe more like a few weeks. And ....

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), March 01, 1999.

Steve, why don't you try again?

If that doesn't work, email me directly and we'll try to figure out what's wrong.

-- Declan McCullagh (declan@y2kculture.com), March 01, 1999.

He knows what has been said in the closed door hearings. That info is not in today's report.

-- Scotty (BLehman202@aol.com), March 01, 1999.

Wait a second, Declan, hold on there -

There was no "sudden about face." When asked specifically about this on "Face the Nation", Dodd said emphatically "No, I'm not suggesting people stockpile," but rather that people have the lame old "two or three days" worth of stuff around the house, like for a storm. The line about "It's not unwise for people to do a little stockpiling," on Meet the Press does not translate into a "switch from criticizing survivalism to endorsing it."

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You're trying to be perceived as a responsible journalist? HA! You're just trying incite people's emotions here in order to get clickthrough for your website. Sorry, pal, but I'm going to point this out everytime I spot it...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), March 01, 1999.

pshannon: Thanks for the insight. Just visited Delcan's site: I agree he should be a little less biased on his reporting. I guess when you don't know the poster you have to take everything being said on this forum with a grain of salt. Sorry Delcan, but I have enjoyed some of your other posts.

-- Jim P.E. (outstrip@hotmail.com), March 01, 1999.

Declan,

From your article: "not mentioning what folks in Hawaii -- who have never seen snow, let alone a blizzard -- should do."

1) Hawaii has hurricanes/typhoons.

2) Hawaii's tallest mountain is named "Mauna Kea", meaning "White Mountain", precisely because it is snow-topped in winter.

-- No Spam Please (anon@ymous.com), March 02, 1999.

pshannon, feel free to believe what you like. I don't have time to rebut all the foolishness that's out there.

But I've been to dozens of hearings where Sen. Bennett and Dodd have spoken, and spoken at conferences with them, and I feel that I have a pretty good take on what they were saying a year ago.

They're singing a different tune now.

-- Declan McCullagh (declan@y2kculture.com), March 02, 1999.

Declan,

I don't doubt that Dodd and Bennett have changed their tune, and I'm certain that you have a good take on what they've been saying. And, I will believe what I like, and I'll call a spade a spade.

My observation was simply that your posting a thread here titled "What made Bennett switch from criticizing survivalism to endorsing it?" and then asking the question "What caused this sudden about-face?" has very little to do with reality. You know what's going on out there and I know what's going on out there, but there are a hell of a lot of newbies around here trying to figure it out.

You are using time tested journalistic techniques to get people to click that link in your post to get them to your website so that your ads get eyeballs. I certainly have no problem with a guy trying to make a living; I do have a problem with a guy treating people like suckers in his efforts to support himself. This kind of posting SCREAMS "click here, suckers" in my book.

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), March 02, 1999.