FOR THE RECORD: The next two articles I copied in full because of their strategic importance in understanding life for us at the end of the millennium. Government despises the people it represents and controls every aspect of our lives that it can get away withlegally or otherwise. Read the following articles and come to your own conclusion about conventional wisdom and how it is seen under the light of government Public Relations spin and the pathetic investigative journalist media

Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Survivalists brace themselves for dark side of the Millennium By James Langton in New York

HIDDEN in the depths of forests and remote mountain valleys, thousands of Americans are preparing for what they believe is the imminent collapse of Western civilisation. Instead of welcoming in the New Year with celebrations and champagne, they will be nervously polishing their shotguns and checking huge stockpiles of dried food and bottled water meticulously assembled to survive in a world without any of the comforts and conveniences of the 20th century. The next seven days are a countdown to the moment of truth for America's small but determined survivalist movement that has retreated to a cavemen-like existence in anticipation of widespread chaos caused by the so-called Y2K computer bug. Despite assurances last week from President Clinton that most key computers are "99.9 per cent" ready for the switch from 1999 to 2000, they expect January 1 to herald the complete collapse of banking, transport, power and communications. Favourite boltholes include caves and log cabins in the Appalachian mountains, farm houses in the less populated parts of the Midwest and trailer parks in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. A Christian community in a remote part of North Carolina is selling five-acre sites for $25,000 (#15,000), with the promise of free ploughing and a tractor with five year's supply of diesel fuel. Shops selling everything from camping equipment and clockwork radios to drums of wheat and dried beans have reported record business in recent months. Among those fleeing civilisation is Bruce Beach, a 65-year-old American who has moved with his wife and 99-year-old mother to a huge bunker in Canada, 100 miles north of Toronto, which he has built from 45 school buses buried in the ground and covered with concrete. Mr Beach, who admits that his neighbours call him "Beach the nut", says he can accommodate 500 people in the bunker and is offering a package that includes a New Year's Eve party for $8,000 (#5,000). So far there have been no takers. Also getting away from modern life is Gary North, the self-styled "chief compiler" of the Millennium Bug movement, who has prophesied doomsday from his web site and newsletter. He believes that the American constitution should be replaced by biblical law and recently moved from Baltimore to rural Arkansas in anticipation of the death of up to a billion people from disease and famine. Mr North, who holds a doctorate in history from the University of California, refuses to speak directly to the press because he believes that it has failed to take the problem seriously. However, in a long and rambling statement, he predicts the collapse of the electricity grid on January 1, followed by martial law and food riots in cities. "We're on the Titanic," he says. "It's time to start moving towards the lifeboats. Let the folks in the grand ballroom enjoy their evening. "They don't want to hear bad news, they're having the time of their lives. Meanwhile, collect your valuables, put on a life jacket, and grab a blanket. It's going to be a long night." Among the more ambitious ventures was a plan for a self-sustaining town of 500 people with its own power supply in Arizona. The venture failed to sell a single property. Many survivalists are fundamentalist Christians who see echoes of the biblical Apocalypse in the Millennium Bug, which will cause some computers to read the year 2000 as 1900 and crash. Tom Clark, a fundamentalist Christian from Chicago who sells basic supplies, including grain mills for turning wheat into flour, plans to move out of town in anticipation of "one massive problem". Mr Clark, who is now waiting in a secret wilderness retreat, said: "I don't want to have 10 million people marauding through the city looking for food, and angry because the government has deceived them." Previous predictions of failure, including a run on the banks, have failed to materialise. Lehman's, a family-run business in Ohio supplying the Amish with household appliances that run without electricity, experienced a huge upsurge in orders earlier this year, but things have been quieter since. Glenda Lehman said: "We had a lot of people slightly embarrassed and wanting to return things. But it doesn't take much to set things off. There was a report recently in [the newspaper] USA Today about problems with Y2K compliance in the water supply companies and suddenly water filters were flying out the door." Observers say that it is difficult to tell how many Americans are taking the threat seriously. Tim Watson, the editor of Y2K Magazine said of those taking precautions: "They are keeping quiet, either because they don't want others to know they are there or because they are worried people will laugh at them." Electricity and telephone companies insist that they have tested their computers and say that they will work normally. However, as a precaution, most large American cities plan to have essential staff on duty in special command bunkers on New Year's Eve - just in case the prophets of doom prove to be correct.

Yahoo News - U.S. on Guard Ahead of Y2K WASHINGTON (Reuters) 

>>>U.S. officials on Sunday sought to play down fears of major computer disruptions and ``terrorist'' attacks on New Year's weekend but said Americans must not let down their guard. The nation's airports, hospitals and armed forces said they were prepared for the century date change, which could cause unprepared computers on New Year's Eve to misread ``00'' in two-digit date fields as 1900 instead of 2000 and malfunction. But as officials grow more confident that U.S. infrastructure will emerge relatively glitch-free, they appear increasingly concerned about end-of-the-year political, cult or racial violence. ``With regard to any potential physical attacks, we have no information that anyone's planning that, but everyone will be on alert that weekend and prepared to respond immediately,'' President Clinton's Y2K aide, John Koskinen, told ABC's ``This Week'' television program. The United States has tightened security at airports and border crossings since the arrest earlier this month of an Algerian man accused of trying to smuggle explosives into Washington state. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned local police of the danger of violence by cults seeking to spark a self-styled ``apocalyptic'' battle and by those fearing a supposed conspiracy to impose world government. New York City Police Commissioner Howard Safir said 19,000 officers have been trained to deal with any threat that could arise during the city's massive New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square. ``There is no reason to believe that there will be any problem,'' Safir told ABC. But he added: ``Of course there are no guarantees. In a free society, you know, we don't control everybody's movements.'' ``Credible Information'' Of Planned Attacks The State Department said it had ``credible information'' that guerrillas were planning attacks on U.S. citizens, including at festivities to usher in the 21st century. ``There have been a number of developments that obviously do make us concerned right now,'' said John Hamre, Deputy Secretary of Defense. But he added: ``Americans should feel very confident we'll be able to defend the country.'' To combat terrorism, former CIA Director James Woolsey said the Clinton administration could make it easier for U.S. intelligence agencies to recruit spies to infiltrate groups that may be plotting attacks. ``It's a very good idea to stop things from happening by maybe being a little more flexible with your guidelines,'' Woolsey told Fox ``News Sunday''. FAA Administrator Jane Garvey said the nation's airports were ready. ``Air traffic will be safe.'' But she warned that some other nations were not as prepared, and said Russia was of particular concern. Fred Brown, chairman of the American Hospital Association, said U.S. hospitals, big and small, would be ready for the New Year. ``The American public can feel very confidant if they need to go to hospitals,'' he told ABC. White House officials have set up an ``information coordination center'' to track Y2K events, including any violence that might prompt a federal response. <<<

This disgusts me. 5 days to go and articles like THESE get the attention of the mainstream press. The real issues behind the Y2K problem remain marginalized and ridiculedas the above article from the Electronic Telegraph so ably depicts. There can be no doubt that manipulation of people is the agenda of the day.

Our leaders have abdicated their roleand we are directionless. Our citizens have abdicated their roleand we are without drive. Our principles, beliefs, and constitutions have been compromised for economic growth, and we are lost.

SYSTEMS WILL FAIL and they spin the information to make it more palatable and then tell the masses not to prepare, because it could cause a disturbance in economic growth. With leadership like this the pain of Y2K impacts and effects will skyrocket.

WAR IS COMING and we ignore the signsthose valuable warningshoping that we can avoid disturbances in our economic growth. We play while our enemies prepare. We pretend there are no problems because were too afraid to face the truththat our present policies of selfishness, irresponsibility and abuse of nations for our profit can and will lead us to destruction.

The fall of an empire historically results in one of two things: the fragmentation of the empire into a series of warring states and an eventual devolution into a dark age of chaos (Rome), or the destruction of the empire by a stronger force, and iron rule by anothers decree (Babylon). The citizens of the fallen empire suffer unimaginably if either occurs

We face both.

-- (Kurt.Borzel@gems8.gov.bc.ca), December 26, 1999

Answers

Amen to that Kurt.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 27, 1999.

I'm thinking now that ancient communist proganda wasn't proganda after all. The world really is controlled by (for 5 more days at least anyway) a cabal of international bankers and Wall Street capitalists.

-- Ocotillo (peeling@out.===), December 27, 1999.

Kurt

Merry Merry to you

The local scoop on the Algerian is that he must have been absolutely stupid to go over on the boat to Port Angeles. Not only is the Arab population minimal to zero over here (mainly wasp - asian) but he would have french as a first language. Now he would have stuck out on a Ferry of normal travellers on the boat. At anytime. Considering the press on the "terrorists' one would think that a person of his discription would be on the short list.

One thing though it raised Victoria's awareness of Y2K up a couple of knotches and it was already high.

There could be a few questions that should be answered to understand what this really means.

Why the island? NOT a terrorist hot spot. Pretty damm laid back actually. Even the Hells Angels vacation here.

Why the Ferry? shit we are 16 miles from Port Angeles, now a person could have rented a boat and dumped the stuff for pick up later.

Why not professionals for smuggling? They are out there and money talks.

Why so close to Seattle after the WTO meeting? Wow the protest event of the 90s and right after they smuggle bombs. Smart.

Kurt you know Victoria and it's dependance on the US. We have a live and let live with the many US Visitors and a polite understanding that they only come during the Summer mainly :o)

It amazes me that the Land of the Newly Wed and Nearly Dead would strike fear into the hear of North America.

I am telling you that the most serious problem for folks in the Victoria region is how to keep the Deer from eating their roses.

Some folks have terrorist squirrels, we have terrorist deer.

Of course we also have cougars going to the Empress for Tea.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), December 27, 1999.

Gee maybe these guys coming in from Canada are actually decoys. Maybe the real bad guys are just walking across the Mexican border which everyone knows is a sieve.

-- Lornna Mitchell (doone@digital.net), December 27, 1999.

It continues to be a pleasure to frequent this forum when time after time one can read threads with the balanced intelligence of this post.

Forget about reading newspapers. This being said after just reading the Wash. Post this morning. Its almost like reading a "see spot run" book. OK teacher!! I got it--we are to prepare for a global three day storm and be on the alert for terrorists and religous zealots stockpiling food and guns.

-- d----- (dciinc@aol.com), December 27, 1999.

One thing I will have learned from all this, even in the remote chance that it is a BITR, is how pathetically unable people are to grasp complex issues, let alone ones that have such disturbing outcomes.

-- (@ .), December 27, 1999.