This is Part 4. Full text at: http://www.gwu.edu/~y2k/keypeople/gordon/part4.html

I really enjoyed Appendix A.

PAULA GORDON: I brought up in the last panel.... the hypothesis that perhaps the reason the President and the Administration have not moved forward on (Y2K) before (now is that they have made) a conscious decision (not to do so). (They may have decided that) it is possible that increasing the awareness of the public concerning this issue could be very disruptive with respect to the economy for instance, and perhaps a conscious decision has been made not to risk that kind of upset. (Perhaps they have) instead (decided to) wait until after the (rollover) and then come in and respond in the recovery. The (establishment of the) ICC ~ the Information Coordination Center .... (is compatible with) that hypothesis because that's what it's focusing on. It's focusing on gathering information, assessing things..... focusing on continuity planning, (response) and recovery in the aftermath.

Can't go to bed just yet...

Critt

-- Critt Jarvis (critt@critt.com), August 19, 1999

Answers

I've pondered this question for months and the only answer that makes sense to Paula's question is *the banking industry*. If John Q became fearful his first action would be to pull money. Not stock food. Not buy a generator or non-hybrid seeds. But instead first do the one thing that would hasten world-wide financial collapse. They're buying time and hoping that that time will enable a best result. I'd bet also that they're hoping the number of GI increase as fast as possible up to the limit of a panic. Fools really. They're watching and hoping to change the scoreboard for a game that ended a year ago because they didn't trust us with the truth when it would have mattered.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), August 19, 1999.

Wow! That open letter in part 4 was seriously cautionary and responsible. This professional association talks about the limits to what remediation/compliance could be, and warns of longterm disruptions beyond what I have heard suggested by govt. and business leaders. Thank you for putting that link here.

I find their open letter to congress especially interesting, because these professionals can be candid in this context, in a way that is less likely to cost them their jobs were any of them to speak out as identified to specific companies. They really do get it, one would imagine, given the substance of their letter to Congress.

-- Kristi (KsaintA@aol.com), August 19, 1999.

...Just like we need all the time to prepare, so does the government.

September, October, and probably November IS ALL THE TIME LEFT to have communications, command centers, capital, goods, outlets and troops ready.

To alert people so soon would cause a panic that would ruin the time allotment of the NEXT THREE MONTHS!

We have this much time left too. It's time to put that one last "media kit" of y2k documents together (at least 10/20 stories/reports, etc.), duplicate it and mail/give to your friends, relatives, close family and even local media.

This is the only way you may save friends, close family.

It's end time, and the big boys have the smoke screen up, but many big y2k stories, accident or serious market drop will blow the smoke screen away and away we go................................................

-- dw (y2k@outhere.com), August 19, 1999.

I'm sorry, but what's with all the parentheticals? I mean, some of those sentences could have opposite meanings if the parenthetical is removed. Can you URL the originals?

Thanks.

Jolly

-- Jollyprez (jolly@Prez.com), August 19, 1999.

PS, almost forgot!

Follow the scary stories with prep lists (food, water, fuel, medical, sanitation, etc. The best thing one can do to lead the sheep is to rattle your staff, yell a little and then show how to get food and safe shelter.

-- dw (y2k@outhere.com), August 19, 1999.

Why Isn't the Crisis Being Treated as a Crisis as Yet?

Gee, why is the media badgering George W. about cocaine yet they never popped that question to our current disaster-in chief?

Just curious...

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@Y2KOK.ORG), August 19, 1999.

dw, I agree. It's way too late to panic people. Only a few will make it. They do want people to GI--just not everyone. It sucks, but all we can do at this point is try to get people we know or meet to prepare.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), August 19, 1999.

Jolly.

Ignore the parentheticals. Then what? No wiggle room I can see. That Paula has an opinion shouldn't be ignored but what are mostly reference sources or a quick aside doesn't detract from the message for me.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), August 20, 1999.