First, thanks to "Jack (jsprat@eld.net)" for the inspiration for this thread. His post on the "Cory 100" thread is the source.

The reason Jack's post struck me is that I have long believed that the fairy tale, The Emperor's New Clothes, is an accurate analogue of much of American society.

As you will recall, in the final scene of the story, a small boy shouts (as the Emperor's procession passes), "Look! The Emperor is NAKED!"

In America, the "approved management response", the "legislative intent", the "party line", the "politcally correct" response would have been:

"Shut up, kid! We're trying to have a parade here."

The question for those of us who have an "unclothed vision", if you will, of Y2K and various other coincident problems is:

What can we do about that cultural characteristic that will have a positive effect on any of those problems?

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), November 06, 1998

Answers

Teach 'em how to camp.

Gotta nuther story about that from the Northridge '94 quake experience. Need to finish my fire story first.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 06, 1998.

Actually, the inspirational credit for this thread should really go to "Woe is me", who has forced me to try using children's stories to explain things. ("My my Granny, what little information you have in your Y2K disclosure statement." "Ahh ... its so that I can remediate better." ....)

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), November 06, 1998.

What?

-- john doe (surfer@web.com), November 06, 1998.

I've been waiting and waiting for the talking heads on cable TV to do something other than discuss Clinton's problems every night. Since CNN and ABC have already done a few stories on Y2K I figured it wouldn't be long, but we're still waiting. I think once they start on this topic we will see the same arguments on the news-related talk shows that have taken place on the internet forums. Maybe then there will be open discussion in America about Y2K. Maybe some e-mails and letters to them will help.

-- Buddy Y. (DC) (buddy@bellatlantic.net), November 06, 1998.

Confusing this story is the inescapable fact that Emperormoron has no clothes on.

Rather, has no trousers on.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), November 06, 1998.

Sorry, still on...around the ankles, but still on.

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), November 06, 1998.