Consider Yourselves Warned

-- Start Preparing (for@Martial.Law), August 04, 2000

Answers

Re: Y2K- Hot

by D60sEagle

20 September 1999 06:36 UTC

Gosh, I hope the rollover goes okay!! LOL

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), August 04, 2000.

Did it?

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), August 04, 2000.

As it happens, most of what was reported by the poster's NG son was true. The comms-out callup drill, crowd-control training, .gov concerns about Y2K being used as cover for a variety of nastiness, all were verifiable events.

Drawing the conclusion that all that was a preparation for martial law was a bit farfetched and seems to be due to a pre-conceived expectation of US gov malfeasnance, but the facts are essentially correct.

In the US and throughout the West, .gov, and especially .mil, were more nervous about potential problems to be faced at the Century Date Change than is commonly recognized. The military because of their extreme dislike of Surprises. (Pearl Harbor made a big impression...and there are rumours that some very great nastiness was narrowly averted.) The politicos, IMHO, feared an economic meltdown in advance of the upcoming election and pulled out the stops, perception-management wise. In a way, they were like many of the "pollies" (what stupid labels we all wound up using around here...), in that they did not really fear the technical failure aspect of Y2K but were extremely worried about the societal storms that could brew up.

In my pre-Y2K rummaging through the web, I ran across some amazing things indicating that .mil and .gov had decided to go into the rollover Loaded For Bear. (I mostly did not discuss these things publicly.) I think that made me personally very worried, because seeing their preparation made me wonder if they knew something I didn't.

As it turned out, I don't think they did. But they saw the "panic problem" as very real and very dangerous. And that could have happened whether the computers went stupid or not.

I recently spent some time browsing through my bookmarks for .gov and .mil Y2K info sources. Nearly all of the really interesting ones are 404. Like it never happened. Eerie, really. The old TB2K archives may actually have some historical value after all, since much of that info from the now-dead links was pasted there. No longer verifiable links, of course...

So now life goes on, with nothing to fear.

Although something strange does appear to have happened at Mars around June 4 when that comet passed it. But we won't know what till late this month when Mars is well out from behind the sun. And if it's a problem, those tinfoil hats won't help....

-- (Lewis@Narnia.GeneralDelivery), August 04, 2000.

Thankfully things are calm this year, but here's another California story from last year.

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001m1m

NG will be out in CA

http://www.cnn.com/US/9911/14/y2k.security/

California cops, National Guard prepare for millennium trouble

From Correspondent Rusty Dornin

November 14, 1999

Web posted at: 5:55 p.m. EST (2255 GMT)

SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- California is gearing up for turn-of-the- century celebrations that go over the top. Some 1,700 National Guard troops will be on duty from December 30 to January 2, ready for action in San Francisco -- or other cities in the state in case revelers get out of hand.

"Right now, the National Guard is preparing for Y2K in the eventuality we would have to backup law enforcement because of lights going out or a civil disturbance," said Capt. Joseph Horton of the California National Guard.

There is a history of citywide parties turning dangerous.

Thousands of San Franciscans took to the streets for VJ Day, when the fighting with Japan formally ended in 1945. Eleven people were killed during the celebration and thousands were injured in the three-day party.

To make sure millennium parties -- or any civil disturbances resulting from possible Y2K problems -- don't measure up to those statistics, San Francisco police have been practicing riot control measures, backed by stiff warnings.

"If you intend to come to San Francisco and conduct yourself in an unpeaceful manner ... you will be taken into custody immediately," cautioned San Francisco Police Chief Fred Lau.

The National Guard helped out Los Angeles police during the Rodney King riots.

Troops also have provided statewide disaster relief during earthquakes and floods. Spokesmen say the Guard would be ready for just about anything the New Year might bring -- including massive power outages.

"For the Y2K phenomena, we're ready with fuel. For example, generator crews, we have 50 of them, we have trucks, C130s, Blackhawks and Chinooks (helicopters) and people and shelters and armories and so on," said California National Guard Col. Terry Knight.

Crews at California's Office of Emergency Services will also be on duty round the clock through New Year's weekend.

"We are connected with all the counties by satellite with generators so even if there was a problem we would be able to communicate with one another to help protect public safety," said the agency's Tom Mullins.

-- The (Guard@was.ready), August 04, 2000.

Amazing! a thread that cpr didn't hijack! Must have some truth in it.

-- (jet@powered.pig), August 05, 2000.

I think that everyone wanted something to happen. Also people really want to blame the government for everything. I hate to say it but, KNOCK KNOCK the government does not run things it is the Corporations!!!

-- I laugh at you (stupid@people.usa), March 12, 2001.