Go to www.gwu.edu/~y2k/keypeople/gordon/part4.html

1. Read about IEEE concerns that embedded systems are "non-solvable" and are a "crisis." Read about "y2k is a long-term not a short term, problem." Think pipelines abroad and here, refineries, tanker ships; think fuel for electricity.

2. Scroll down the page to the conversation between Dr. Gordon and Congressman Kucinich. Punch on the link. There you will see:

A. E-mail from Yourdon

B. Message from Robin Guenier

C. Statement from UN guy - skip that (they are raising awareness)

D. Comments by Patricia Kaufman about Nuclear Power Plant Safety

E. Kucinich-Gordon conversation - Gordon suggests the government may be deliberately doing less than it could. Here are exerpts from Kucinich (caps are mine, {} are mine), this is astounding:

"Yes {they are doing less than they could} and it's 'yes' because it becomes self evident. I'm concerned that the moment for national leadership has been passed over. If you go forward right now and call (y2k) to the public's attention, the person who does that whether it's the President, the Vice President or some other leader takes ownership and then if something goes wrong, you know - it's still politics: 'You did it - You're Mr. y2k'. "And, you know, there is an election in the Year 2000...I would say it is unfortunate that the DECISION HAS BEEN MADE TO TAKE A RATHER LOW PROFILE APPROACH."

Paula Gordon: "Do you understand why that's (the case)?"

Congressman Kucinich: "...it doesn't get too compicated: there's an election in 2000 and I don't think that anyone wants to risk having this issue to carry on their back if something goes wrong. What they do is to say enough about it so that they can go back through newsreels and say something about it: 'We got together at the National Academy of Science' "(which they did - I was there.)" 'We were part of a United Nations effort.' "(They were...I was there.)" 'You know we did all these things through what John Koskinen has done. We did everything we (could). We weren't on the stage all the time..' "But I think that that belies a greater challenge here which is to step up to responsibility and claim leadership of a nation and say what we have to do as a country and rally (the) country around it and (that's) not being done, as you say, (IT'S) PURPOSEFULLY (NOT BEING DONE). And I think that the consequences can only be adverse." "...I think they're {the administration} missing an opportunity here and I think the consequences for the country will not be happy." "...we need to do more though, and that more has to come from the White House, plain and simple." "...So more can be done, but you are absolutely right, THERE WAS A DECISION MADE NOT TO DO IT AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO JOHN KOSKINEN WHO'S PROBABLY PULLING HIS HAIR OUT..."

The congressman is saying Clinton and Gore do not want y2k failure to stick to them so they are abdicating to Koskinen and his orders are to minimize the danger. A decision was made to low-play y2k. Our families lives are in jeopardy because Clinton/Gore don't want bad press. Can you believe this? Friends, they will be cared for with your tax money but your family will not have what it needs to survive unless you provide it and the White House has made a decision not to let you know how bad it might be. Will they tell you if your electricity is threatened? No, that would be bad press, better to tell you everything is fine, then if it fails, it isn't their fault. They did all they could. I urge you to read all of the congressman's comments. You need to prepare for the worst case scenario because you are not going to get the truth from the White House.

-- Anonymous, August 27, 1999

Answers

Marcella,

Thanks for the post. Good material.

Does it come to anyone else's mind how it has been said repeatedly how other countries would be worse off than the U.S. yet it has also been said repeatedly that complexity kills.

It seems to me the U.S. has the most complex systems of all and as a result the U.S. is going to get bitten by this millenium bug worse than all others.

S

-- Anonymous, August 27, 1999

Links:

The Y2K and Embedded Systems Crisis ~ Why Isn't the Crisis Being Treated as a Crisis as Yet, Nationally or Globally? by Paula D. Gordon, Ph.D. August 18, 1999

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. - June 9, 1999 Open Letter to Congress, Koskinen et. al.

Selected Presentations, Quotes, and Comments from The George Washington University Conference on Y2K: "Y2K: Local, National, Global Concerns ~ What Further Actions Are Needed?" July 26 to July 30, 1999 Li nk Includes discussions A - E listed above.

Lots of "meat" here. And links to references - gov't reports etc. Important stuff. Thanks for bringing it to our attention Marcella.

-- Anonymous, August 29, 1999