or will it be the same old success driven, planet polluting, spiritually numbing, corporate plundering, "manifest destiny" business as usual, life in the U.S.? Will it depend on whether we crash, or merely bounce over the "bump in the road" and go on?

-- gilda jessie (jess@listbot.com), April 13, 1999

Answers

I think it depends on our individual abilities to overcome our prejudices and start focusing on our commonalities, and strenghths. We have a constitution and bill of rights that work very well if we would focus our attention on the rule of law. Most people in this country do not even know what these documents say and this is probably not by accident. Try to imagine a country where in order to graduate from high school, you had to understand these laws. I think we would have statesmen/womem, in congress, rather than special interest groups.

-- Arthur Rambo (buriedtreasure@webtv.net), April 13, 1999.

If its but a bump in the road, we will go on. There will be some GIs who will change their lifestyles, but not enuff to make an impact. In the 70s there were a bunch of us "back to landers" led by the writings of Howard Ruff, Gary North and JD Balenger that left the citys and moved onto small farms. This was a big movement, especially in the Pacific Northwest. A lot of us changed our lifestyles and became small self sustaining farmers. Then after 20 plus years, we "retired" to Fl. But we brought all our equipment and our skills with us and bought in the country. Then due to some medical problems that I have, hubby went to work for the county..... for benefits primarily. My RX are $812/ month. And yes, I am stocking up! Anyway, if its not TEOTWAKI, things on the whole won't change much other than standard of living is bound to go down and there may be civil unrest among the have nots/won't work people. However I think it will be one hell of a bump and the next few years are going to be a real lesson in patience for us. A lot of people will go "postal" from all the aggrevating hassles that will come out of this. Plan to stand in line a lot.

Got nails?? For chewing????

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), April 13, 1999.

I agree with you, I think it will take a major bump in the road the size of Mt. Rainier to cause much social change. Social change we need desperately. Fractional reserve banking must go away. Government for the people, by the people, must return.

But that probably won't happen...

chasin' the cat...

The Dog

-- Dog (desert dog @-sand.com), April 13, 1999.

I'm not so sure that even TEOTWAWKI would cause a long term social change. Short-term, yes. There would be very little choice. But we're talking about human behavior and I don't think that will ever change completely. It's part of the human condition. Some of us will be "good", some "bad". There will always be greed, prejudice, lust, anger, joy, fear ......Just part of this cycle we're in. Life.

-- (rick@ina.com), April 13, 1999.

Went back to the land in the 70's, not out of total choice at first but time went on and eventually it was back to jobs, into business, buying into the American Greed,,ahh Dream. Now in 25 years, it's come full circle and it's time to go back again. By choice and with or without Y2K.

But you're right it won't change things except for a few of us, that want to go back to a simpler lifestyle. Only TEOTWAWKI could do that and it would have to last a long long time.

-- sue (deco100@aol.com), April 13, 1999.