Though I don't click on most of his threads anymore, this was in one of cpr's recent products {though it was obscured by the background}:

"WE DID IT BECAUSE MOST OF US CAN RECALL THE HISTORY OF PRE-1932 Germany. It was a "crisis" that created that Horror Show."

I think there's a germ of truth in this statement which applies not only to the debunker mindset, but the 'pessimist' as well.

Since cpr can't seem to frame rational debate any better than I can, would some kind soul out there care to assist the great unwashed?

-- flora (***@__._), September 17, 2000

Answers

What you seem to want to debate is the question: do national or international crises encourage extremist solutions? Or something like that.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), September 17, 2000.

The Y2k internet crisis would never have reached the heights it reached without catching the Moderates of all types (90% no matter how you measure it) 1/2 asleep so that the Weird Ones could infect so many by Net, Direct and E-mail. 600 Y2k Prep sites were in place by Fall, 1998 and most were gonzo before 1/1/2000 or STIFFING CUSTOMERS during the FALL. It has been speculated that one of the reasons Hyatt was ranting to the end was to prevent "returns" of the lucrative sales he made. The fact is that FEW of the sites made money. The Perps contented themselves that they were "Spreading the Word". The DE-BUNKERS....and most Press and Media.......called them RIGHTLY:........ALARMISTS. ALARMIST POP OUT OF THE WOODWORK DAILY. It takes a big, huge potential problem to get them "mobilized".

GETTING RID OF THEM IS LIKE GETTING RID OF.........ROACHES AND RATS.

SHINE THE LIGHT OF EXPOSURE ON THEM AND THE SCURRY AWAY (NORMALLY). ONCE THEIR WORDS FAIL..........THEY RUN FOR COVER ASAP: NORTH COMES TO MIND. BUT OTHERS GOT "OUT OF THE Y2K BUSINESS" BEFORE HE DID.

ALL "CRISIS" brings out all flavors across the political spectrum and Y2k got all the FRINGERS from the Leftists like Theobold, Utne and Atlle with their current banner held high by THE PAULA and over on the LUNATIC RIGHT we had the usual: North, McElvaney, and their wannabees like Hyatt and trainee Lord Dumbo Jim.

As was easily noted, the FRINGERS OF BOTH SIDES MET and all the Left used links to Gary North's pages as a "reference" (rather strange for the Ph.D.s like Dr. DooDoo Carmichael a beltline insider from Georgetown). Normally the KOOKS of either side don't meet but Yourdon and his buddy Robert (a real Left Fringer of the New age type) marketed tapes down the Survivalist Channel at the Y2k FUD, SURVIVAL PREP AND "CAMPING" SHOWS that the wannabee GI Joes of the Militia go to.

-- cpr (buytexas@swbell.net), September 17, 2000.