Jim Lord - A Reasonable and Prudent Y2K Preparation Plan

[snip]

I believe we've reached the point where we no longer have the luxury of handicapping Y2K. It's time to fish or cut bait. Each of us has to make a decision and take action based on our best guess. Accordingly, here's an attempt to provide a cohesive Y2K Survival Plan. It is compiled from eighteen months of Y2K Tips of the Week.

The basis of this strategy of dealing with Y2K is to cover as much of the spread as possible. The ten recommendations that follow are crafted with that purpose in mind. If you do these ten things, it won't matter if Y2K is a joke, a problem or a catastrophe.

[snip]

[Recommendation 1:] Store necessities. Y2K threatens to disrupt critical goods and services. Things you can't live without. These include food, water, medicine and energy at a minimum. Your storage program should also include an assortment of non-hybrid seeds to provide you with a capability to grow food if things turn out really bad. I suggest at least a three-month's supply of these necessities. Six months is better if you have the resources.

[snip]

[Recommendation 2:] Accumulate cash. Y2K is a threat to the banking system but not because of computer failures. The greatest threat is a loss of public confidence in the system. Numerous recent polls indicate that the public believes there will be banking disruption. Anywhere from 25 to 40 percent state that they plan to pull significant cash out of the system.

I think you should hold enough cash for three months normal living expenses. Again, why so much? Do I think there will be a collapse? That depends on whether or not we get exceptional leadership at the national level. It is up to them, not us. It's time for the government to level with us and deal with this issue head on. The longer they keep us in the dark and put off an honest public discourse, the worse the panic will be. Meanwhile, I don't think you should feel obligated to be the sacrificial goat because they have created such a fragile system.

[Recommendation 3:] Buy gold and silver coins

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[Recommendation 4:] Get out of debt

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[Recommendation 5:] Get out of stocks, bonds and mutual fundsIRA's and 401-K's pose special problems because early liquidation invokes substantial tax penalties. Don't close these accounts. Work instead to increase their Y2K safety.

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[Recommendation 6:] Collect paper copies of important records

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[Recommendation 7:] Consider leaving population centers. Any effects of Y2K will be intensified in the cities. Infrastructure failures and supply line disruptions (should they occur) will produce worse effects there than in small towns. Don't be within thirty miles of a metropolitan area (including the suburbs). Make arrangements to stay with family or friends in smaller, safer areas during the date transition. Another possibility is a vacation home in a less populated area.

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This is not a veiled prediction that the big cities are going to go up in flames. I don't deny the possibility of civil unrest triggered by Y2K but that kind of thing is entirely preventable. Three things have to happen to ensure the cities remain peaceful if Y2K turns out bad:

[snip]

1.Governments (starting with Washington) must admit that Y2K is the problem (not us crazed survivalists).

2.Governments must be facilitators and enablers of community-based Y2K preparations.

3.Existing social institutions such as churches and charitable, service-oriented organizations must join in the preparation.

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[Recommendation 8:] Get your community ready

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[Recommendation 9:] Get on the Internet

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[Recommendation 10:] Assemble a Y2K library [end snip]

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), February 22, 1999

Answers

For those who live in cities, Lord said the three things that have to happen to ensure cities remain peaceful are:

"1.Governments (starting with Washington) must admit that Y2K is the problem (not us crazed survivalists).

"2.Governments must be facilitators and enablers of community-based Y2K preparations.

"3.Existing social institutions such as churches and charitable, service-oriented organizations must join in the preparation."

Doubt Sweetie and me will be able to come up with much of the recommended cash but we'll eat and stay warm.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 22, 1999.

Think it is funny how the people we know who have the extra money to get ready are most often the DGI's! Guess they are used to pulling out the old checkbook whenever and don't feel the need to plan ahead. Won't they be surprized when their money can't buy a bag of beans?? We may not be able to save even one months' expenses in cash ahead but we'll still live high on the hog with our food,animals,deep well,generator and good neighbors who may be on the poorer side,too but already get it...and have lived it all their lives. From old hippies we have evolved a comfortable life doing for ourselves...doubt there is much my husband or I haven't done in the way of a self-sufficient lifestyle...and our huge library would cover anything new we might choose to tackle. Our familes have often scorned us for our choices but I doubt their management type jobs will be there if things get bad...bet I'll still be nursing and my hubby will still be farming and we'll still be eating and keeping warm by the woodstove....things many people may well envy instead of scorn come the year 2000.

-- MUTTI (windance @train.missouri.org), February 22, 1999.

MUTTI,

Sure wish I had more neighbors like y'all ! We need a local nurse. You're description of place / preps should serve as "poster" ads for what all should be doing.

Come on now, Texas has some very pretty land ;) Yeah, I know, it's way to late for serious moves.

-- Greybear

- Got Informed Neighbors?

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), February 22, 1999.

Did y'all read the little disclaimer at the end of Jim's article? I figure that Mr. Lord may soon be going the way of Rick Cowles. Am I correct in thinking a financial investment firm like Westergaard might have a reason to keep Y2K warnings to a minimum? Like, maybe to prevent INVESTORS from divesting themselves of their portfolios? Jeepers, what would Westergaard do for income if they had no one's finances to manage...?

-- Arewyn (nordic@northnet.net), February 23, 1999.

Has anybody else noticed that Jim Lord's column hasn't been posted as yet?

http://www.y2ktimebomb.com/Tip/Lord/index.htm

His "Tip of the Week" has always been there for the Monday of each week as far as I know. Well, here it is late on Tuesday afternoon, (5:40 pm CST), and still no Jim Lord.

You don't reckon they got into a "cuss fight" over his last week's article do you? I'd hate to see them shut down his column, although it is their's to do of course.

Maybe they are just running late this week. That does happen on occasion. Sometimes.

S.O.B.

-- sweetolebob (buffgun@hotmail.com), February 23, 1999.