The 5 or so articles might as well have been written by the ABA. It's all pretty disgusting..."don't worry, keep your money in the bank, don't sell your stocks, yada, yada, yada..."

Hubby read through and told me to quit buying food. Everything is fixed. No problems. Time to look for a secret foodstore hiding place.

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), October 09, 1999

Answers

You know, I'm as frustrated as anyone about the happy talk we've all been hearing, but sometimes I wonder: suppose I was John Koskinen? What would I really say exactly? What kind of panic-inducing responsiblity would I be willing to take? I think the interconnectedness of Y2K makes it really hard to say anything, because once you start saying something is bad (utilities, say) then anyone with half a brain can extrapolate to everything else (banks, etc) and then what would happen? It's easy for us to be so righteous in the consequence-free environment of the internet, but what if the whole country looked to you for assessment/advice? What would you really do?

-- Jean Shift (jean@aol.com), October 09, 1999.

I'd agree with you to a point there Jean, but these are the same people, that if the SHTF, or even a moderate BITR, are going to desperately attempting to shift blame onto "the other guy" so as to get re-elected. Ko-skin-em, being the political appointee and Freind of Bill, either desperately believes that 'all will be well', or is counting on Slick to cover him when the Lynch Mob come to string him up by his nuts. Either way he's well and truly f*cked, as it's apparent that the fascade of "Don't Worry Be Happy" is starting to crack, and well...Bill's rep for 'protecting those who protect him' is already apparent. (see the Dead Freinds of Bill list for reference) I, for one, in Koskys shoes, would blow the lid off this and start naming names in November if'n it was going to be a big one. Do the 'Monica' thing, and trust in the media to help keep me alive....just a thought. Maybe it'll happen? Stranger things have happened in Sodom-on-the-Potomac...

-- Billy-Boy (Rakkasn@Yahoo.com), October 09, 1999.

Okay Billy. Let me play devil's advocate. Don't you think if you starting "naming names" it would cascade into a bank run, a food run and a stock market crash? You're standing at the podium. If you speak these things will happen. If you mish-mouth, they won't happen. Really try to imagine being the one who decides how it's going to go. Would you still do it?

-- Jean Shift (jean@aol.com), October 09, 1999.

Jean,

I would resign. Period.

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), October 09, 1999.

Kiplinger is extremely 'pro-inside the system forget everything else'.

There isn't much you can do to convince a hard core Kiplinger reader, I know because I used to think Kiplinger was untouchable too.

One point however, Kiplinger sees nothing wrong; while many expert sources are 180 degrees out the opposite direction. That by itself is a warning light flashing that Kiplinger has missed some critical data on the subject.

---

On the subject of:

What would you do if you were John Koskinen?

If I were able to direct the management of the Year 2000 Council, independently, I would always tell the truth as fully as I possibly could.

I would have told the adult citizens what they could expect from Y2K and the begun a prep check-off list.

I would have told those same adults what I expected of them in the coming months.

And I would have gotten the President and all members of the House and Senate to support me openly in the effort.

I would have gotten Congressmen and Senators to sign their names to letters I would send to every hovel and home. And gotten them to lend their voices in public service announcements played on radio and TV morning, noon and night.

In areas of information where clearly there were reasons not to provide information, I would withhold, but give an understandable and clear explanation as to why I couldn't answer.

I would have asked the editors and publishers of the newspapers and magazines for special dispensation.

Early on, I would have marshalled vast armies of trained people to help me obtain my objectives.

I would have held press conferences often.

I would have been encouraging preparations of all kinds and the system would have had to deal with that.

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), October 09, 1999.

no talking -

And you never would have been appointed to the post to begin with. (BTW - I wish you HAD been :-)

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), October 09, 1999.

http://infoseek.go.com/? win=_search&sv=M6&lk=noframes&nh=10&ud9=IE5&qt=Paul+AND+Milne&oq=&url= http% 3A//www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/1999/June/lljun99.htm&ti=Kipli nger's+Personal+Finance+Magazine+-+How+I'll+Survive+Y2K+(I+Think)+- +June+99&top=

Here is the URL to their June issue. They got a couple of the facts wrong like about pulling teeth,(we're not) but, basically it is intact.

-- Paul Milne (fedinfo@halifax.com), October 10, 1999.

Roland:

My DGI father has me on his list to read the Kiplinger newsletter. He wanted me to pay close attention to the emphasis on the gold market.

I read it and saw where Kiplinger believes the price of gold will remain around $300 for the balance of the year.

I would like to keep that issue with its Year 2000 predictions so I can have a good laugh later when gold soars upward.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), October 11, 1999.