Y2K bug threatens Third World, IMF says

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

Y2K bug threatens Third World, IMF says

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), September 23, 1999

Answers

I keep thinking that third world countries don't have reliable power and water anyway. So won't they have a well used set of work arounds to use if they get hit. It's big spoiled baby first world countries like the US who have problems if we loose the basics. And Floyd just proved that.

Watch six and keep your...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.net), September 23, 1999.


Folks don't understand that we have farther to drop before we hit the ground. Petroleum-based agriculture (fertilizer and fuel for equipment) has expanded the food supply, and our population has expanded with it. Cut off or significantly diminish the flow of petroleum and other chemicals (vulnerable at point of supply, processing, and transport) and you could have famine in the developed world in short order. It might be avoided, but energy is not looking good, not at all. Best case, I expect rationing, severe disruption. And for quite some time.

Liberty

-- Liberty (liberty@theready.now), September 23, 1999.


Whether the relative impact of problems next year in the 3rd world is higher or lower than here depends on how severe the problems are. In anything less than a 9, it will be harder on them - only a "10" might be worse for us.

I lived in the third world for 3 years and only returned due to Y2K concerns. I know families that have had children die of malnutrition and have friends that are grateful that they have work that pays 10 cents an hour, 84 hours a week. People that are able to grow their own food there are as rare as they are here.

We do have much farther to fall, so anything less than a full collapse and we'll be better off.

-- Steve Hartzler (s.hartzler@usa.net), September 23, 1999.


Steve

Are you saying that people in third world countries are in the habit of depending on undependable products (basics like food) and services? To elaborate, I keep thinking that these people will have "found a way" to replace their supply of the basics when the shoddy infrastructure/economy fails them. So now I have two questions for you:

Is the infrastrucure unreliable in these countries?

Why don't people try to alleviate the shortages they face with what resources they have?

Could you throw a little more light on this for us?

Keep your...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.net), September 24, 1999.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ