Here is a snippet from an article I found in USAToday.

Here is the url

http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctg071.htm

Ulrich says complacency has been aided by "the PR engines" of groups ranging from the food industry to the Federal Reserve Board to the President's Council.

Koskinen agrees that a successful public relations campaign has been waged, but only to provide information that lets the public draw rational conclusions.

Even some who first warned of catastrophe are coming around. Y2K author Peter de Jager, who says he might have been characterized as an "alarmist" three or four years ago, last week confirmed a flight from Chicago to London where he will be "drinking champagne at 32,000 feet," when Year 2000 arrives.

He says he's almost to the point of telling people not to worry at all. "Prepare like it's Hurricane Dennis," de Jager says.

Kosky waged a PR campaign. The objective of which is to give the impression that nothing is wrong. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant.

-- dragoneyez (dragoneyez@mindspring.com), September 10, 1999

Answers

"He says he's almost to the point of telling people not to worry at all."

Almost? Seems to me he's done that already. Telling people to prepare for a 3-day storm is the same as telling them to do nothing at all. Nearly everyone could survive for three days locked into their homes with no fuel, water, or food, living simply on what's in their pantry, & bundling up in warm clothes. An hour's advance warning, to fill some bottles with water, would be more than enough. (Actually, a three-day fast wouldn't harm most of us, & would do some of us a lot of good.)

-- pass (the@cookie.dough), September 10, 1999.

Don't happy be worried?

-- helium (heliumavid@yahoo.com), September 10, 1999.

I think De Jaeger is pretty smart. By changing "sides", he's insured himself of post Y2K income if by any chance it is only a bump in the road. He'll be able to write a book, give speeches, etc. He'll be able to claim credit for sounding the early alarm that caused people/businesses to remediate, thereby avoiding what would have been a catastrophe. He'll be a hero! Had he remained a "doomer"....well, even if he was right, what would it profit him? There won't be much market for books or speeches in a collapsed society. An "I-TOLD-YOU=SO" person is never popular! So the smart thing to do prior to Y2K was to suddenly become a polly and be the darling of the media/bank/gov spinmeisters.

Not that I approve.....

-- Sheila (sross@bconnex.net), September 10, 1999.

Sheila is right, they always shoot the messenger.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), September 10, 1999.

Then Cong. Horn needs Kevlar. His newest report card blows Kosky out of the water.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), September 10, 1999.

Sheila- If TSHTF there will be many who remember DeJager's remarkable similarity to Benedict Arnold. He will be welcome no where, and rightly so.

-- Gia (laureltree7@hotmail.com), September 11, 1999.