from http://www2.gol.com/users/png/

The Senate Report: March 5, 1999

Some of us who have been living with the daily, draining, lonely, nagging headache of understanding that y2k will not be a 'bump-in-the-road,' felt a small measure of vindication by the Senate report. After all those glassy-eyed stares and people thinking "Oh no... here comes that loony-tune y2k guy." One brief moment of vindication followed by disappointment that the government is going to come to our rescue and save us from ourselves.

Instead of saving us, why didn't you protect us?

Inept politicians and bureaucrats failed to perform timely due diligence in the face of early, credible evidence that y2k repesented a threat to the public welfare. Any harm to people resulting from the infrastructure being unprepared for this preventable event should be regarded as criminal negligence.

The modern politicians' handbook lists the first rule as: Politicians must always attempt to maximize the political capital from all situations.

The report was not written to increase awareness. Everyone is aware, thank you very much. Denial and the failure to take action when action could have prevented the need for this report is the real issue. Politicians measure all issues, including y2k, with a 'political mileage meter.' How will this issue hurt me or help me in the next election? How can I control political damage from mistakes in judgment?

The best way is to turn the tables. The 'internet crazies' who fostered and expedited awareness have been labeled as 'extremists.'

Never underestimate the 'sticking-power' of labels. Consider the brilliant label created by one investment company to increase financial product sales in third-world countries: 'emerging markets.'

These 'extremists' will be blamed should civil unrest occur. If the 'internet crazies' hadn't created a stir, how much longer would denial have ocurred? How do the politicians even know that 'internet crazies' exist? Obviously, someone has told them, or they have read main-stream press reports, or perhaps (but highly unlikely) they have been online a few times themselves.

The 'internet crazies' did their duty to awaken the politicians and bureaucrats. It worked. We would be in better shape today if the government had done their job and checked out what the 'internet crazies' (engineers, programmers, business people, farmers, clerks, teachers, scientists, health-care professionals, etc.) were saying long ago.

Imagine the possible civil unrest next year of a society lulled into accepting at face value the compliance schedules and statements issued last year by industry and government?

The D.C. crowd believe that the the most important threat of y2k is not the possible harm to people or the economy, it is the possibility that their constituents may realize that they are to blame and try to unseat them in the next election. The priority, in the mind of a politician, is to remain the incumbent.

This report was designed to prepare the American public for the next step - Just enough to scare people but not enough to cause panic. John Koskinen stated months ago that the U.S. government would be moving to crisis-management stage.

Competent management is timely due diligence to avoid the avoidable. Crisis management of the avoidable is negligence.

-- a (a@a.a), March 09, 1999

Answers

DIetrE ALwAYS kneW THat diETer woULD BE BlamED FOR ThiS MESS!!!!! dieTER shOULd haVE staYED OFF Of thE INTERneT, IS ThIS Not sO????? GovERNmeNT JACkASs scROtuMS!!!!!! PoOr dieteR, A CasE STudy iN PROZac TOo LATe?????? NO??? YES????

-- Dieter (questions@toask.com), March 09, 1999.

Someone needs to ask PNG to tell us what he REALLY feels, without the beating about the bush.

CR

-- Chuck, a night driver (reinzoo@en.com), March 09, 1999.

Maybe they are right. I am crazy (but not an extremist, don't have my gun yet.) I'm a DiETEr fan. He's got more wisdom and heart than all the politicians put together.

Careful not to mistake your Skittles for Prozac, DIetER.

-- Chris (Catsy@pond.com), March 09, 1999.

from http://www2.gol.com/users/png/

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 10, 1999.

Sorry. Here's the link to PNG's site again...

http://www2.gol.com/users/png/

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 10, 1999.