Any successful DWGI to GI strategies, please?

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I've got an arrogant, ignorant DWGI aunt and "victimized" cousins living in Chicago. She just called up and tore us up for having set aside any extras for Y2K - she believes it will be a TOTAL non-event, then invited us up for Christmas (to show off in front of inlaws coming in from Puerto Rico).

I've not forced anything on her or her family, in fact I don't say anything unless she brings it up first - I've never forced my beliefs on any of them. I've told her about the Senate's 100 Day Report, I've told her about the Chicago Police Chief's memo, I've told her about the expected virus outbreak after 1/1/00, and yet she is firmly DWGI.

Does anyone have any DWGI to GI success stories? I'm looking for someway to save my aunt and cousins, or at least my cousins if nothing else. My aunt is handicapped (has a form of Spinabifuda and can't carry any weight in her hands), she also has ALL of her settlement money in stocks too. My cousins, unfortunately, have also been "infected" by her way of thinking, that what the "authorities" tell them is the truth, and that nothing else matters. I'm very afraid that my aunt will try to convince my GI grandparents that the preps are unnecessary and put them in danger too.

I'm so frustrated, I don't know what else to do.

-- Deb M. (vmcclell@columbus.rr.com), November 28, 1999

Answers

Don't give yourself and ulcer worrying about people you cannot control. If they don't get it the harder you push the more they will resist. The best that I have been able to do is just suggest in a very casual off hand way, "well if I have a couple extra gallons of water and cans of soup its just less to buy next year. But between you and me I don't think its going to be much either. The thing that worry's me is all those people panicking at the end of December. Jeez I don't want to have to be in a store then, make Christmas look like a summer Tuesday shopping"

Throw out the suggestion, let it sink in but then agree with their opinion. That way they don't have to come to your side to maybe buy a little extra next time. You can also give them a different reason than agreeing with you to stock up, after all who cares why as long as it happens.

-- squid (Itsdark@down.here), November 28, 1999.


wave goodbye to relatives like that

-- free me (from@'family'.hell), November 28, 1999.

It's too late. There is nothing you can do for these people. There is a chance that they will get through this. Just let go and let God at this point. That is what I have done with certain DWGI relatives. Yes, it's sad, but you can't always fix everything for everybody.

-- (formerly known as nobody@nowhere.ddd), November 28, 1999.

Don't even try at this point to try to get anyone to GI. It's too late, just pray that they're right and we are all wrong.

I'm having a hard time with Christmas shopping this year (much like last year). I walk through the stores and look at all that "plastic junk" and wonder why do people NEED this crap? I end up walking out not buying anything for anyone. If I think about what I really want to buy them (prep stuff), I know they will hate it, and I'll feel worse after giving it to them. So now I'm thinking of just giving prep type items that don't "look" like prep items, like blankets, pretty candles, etc. It's hard to think like that while out shopping, and they won't like the gifts as much as if I bought things that they would really enjoy having, but.....there is always next year to make it up to them (hopefully!!!!!).

-- P.A. (adkins@webbernet.net), November 28, 1999.


Occasionally mentioning that food costs will be higher next year gets a glimmer.

Otherwise, just "prepare to share."

Sad... I know.

Let go. It's their choice.

Diane

BTW... The emergency.com memo on this thread did trigger a couple people to "get ready"... for different reasons.

Two important releases from Clark Staten of ERRI. A new warning against anti-US/UN terrorism. (stay alert in Seattle.), interview w/ ex sov biowar scientist.

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 001mBe



-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 28, 1999.



when people start burying their loved ones they'll get it.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), November 28, 1999.

If you figure out the magic formula then maybe we can apply that to the breeders that have 3 children and up.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), November 28, 1999.

I have to agree with P.A., is it me or has Christmas(and the World)become so hyped and comercialised that we really need a change,dont you all think it rather ironic that if Y2K pans out as the worst disaster ever to hit the civilised World, we would have been the architects of our own demise.....now there's justice for you.

-- Mike Collins (mcollins@lcs.uk.com), November 28, 1999.

I used the following statement: "Don't worry the Red Cross WILL have shelters for people like you who don't prepare. Just make sure that you take your own sleeping bag, pillow, soap, shampo and lice remedy" A week later the person I made the remark to asked me to prepare her a list of what she needed in the way of preps.

-- Ruth Edwards (REath29646@aol.com), November 28, 1999.

honestly, i think it is too late as well and i have spent most of the past two years trying to convince people. i have now officially given up. they are so brainwashed and complacent. if someone decided to prepare now, how would you tell them to begin? other than to take a week off and SHOP!!!!!!!!!!!! some days i honestly find myself looking at myself in the mirror and saying "WHAT ARE YOU NUTS?????" "WHY DID YOU GO TO ALL THIS EFFORT--NOTHING WILL HAPPEN, AND IF IT DOES, THE GOVERNMENT WILL COME AND TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY FROM YOU ANYWAY--WHAT WAS THE POINT?????

BUT THEN I SNAP OUT OF IT AND realize that I WAS listening and GOD told me to prepare. why? i don't know yet.

-- tt (cuddluppy@nowhere.com), November 28, 1999.



Hardly original, but..."For those who understand, no explanation is necessary; for those who do NOT understand, no explanation is possible."

-- Mr. Mike (mikeabn@aol.com), November 28, 1999.

Don't expect an early response from your local gov't. My designated emerg. shelter is the local high school. One minor problem- no heat!. I live in the northeast so this presents a major problem. I went to the ema,ec for the school district,township supervisors (all) no one wants to fund the project. I have put many hours into. Don't assume you can go to your local shelters if things go wrong!I am afraid in to many instances it is only a "paper exercise" with no real substances.

hope/pray I'm wrong.

-- uncle charlie (cthomas@pathway.net), November 28, 1999.


1. Pray about it.

2. Apply social theory:

A. Meet them on their turf. Rather than being "extreme" compared to where they are in belief, just suggest " you know, I'm trying to build a pantry like they did in the good old days. I know SOME areas MIGHT have a delay in shipping food, and I don't want my family to go without". When your idea is far removed from others, than their listening skills go way down. Meet them close to where they are standing, and they are much more likely to hear what you have to say.

B. Confrontational style used to motivate addicts into treatment (talk about a "hard sell", whew!) Remind them of how you or others were impacted in past events when THEY failed to take adequate precautions. If you can't think of a past event, then say "you know, when that storm in "98 went through, Mr. Greenjeans "suffered X" because he didn't have enough medicine/heat/food/insert one."

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), November 28, 1999.


My uncle, "head" of a large extended family, pooh-pood me last July (98) but then his wife (dear auntie) saw a letter from Senator Bennet to Ann Landers, trying to get the word out. Talked to uncle today, he is prepped and prepping, and almost all the rest of the family is too. (6 bros & sis, many children, grandchildren). I'd like to think that I at least had some part in motivating them, but I guess Ann Landers beats me out.

Another strategy: Use the insurance analogy. Evaluate the risks, buy the insurance (food, water, etc.) and if there is no problem, you can always eat your mistakes.

-- Mary (CAgdma@home.com), November 28, 1999.


A lot of folks trust Consumer Reports. They have a fairly decent preparation strategy for DWGI's which includes better-than- average info on what could go wrong with various sectors. Although they don't stress much beyond the typical pablum you hear, serious preparations at this point are a tad late anyway. Print it out or photocopy it from the May '99 issue from your public library.

Another strategy I use is the $250 insurance policy. 7 garbage cans full of rice yields about half a ton for just $250. I'm including the cost of the cans @ $50. Of course, they freak out at such "extremism", but generally see that preparation costs are much less than they thought. Even a one-can compromise is better than nothing. Buy one for them and drop it on their porch before they catch you.

Prayer is by far and away the #1 strategy, however. Prayer can even change the hearts of kings [Proverbs 21:1]. If you are dubious of the power of prayer, just ask anyone you know who prays seriously and lives a godly life. People who pray don't do so because they're bored. They generally do so because they claim to have seen undeniably clear and powerful answers that could only have been wrought by the hand of God.

-- Zach Anderson (z@figure.8m.com), November 28, 1999.



It's not your responsibility to save the world. I don't understand the logic behind people who fret away the hours trying to convince moron relatives to have a few extra gallons of water and some food on hand. Enjoy what peace and tranquilty that you have left and enjoy it at home this Xmas. Time is getting short, it's too late anyway for the DWGIs, the sides were chosen a long time ago.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), November 28, 1999.

Guy! What? Are you mental! Bardou? Isn't this all about responsibility! I am stunned by your snide regard. Her feelings and hopes for her family are valid. Deb- Some people have some great ideas here and I hope they help you. I live in Chicago. Feel free to get in touch.

-- Sheila P (Sheilamars@aol.com), November 29, 1999.

They don't have to Get It, they just have to stock. Y2K stocking is buying insurance, just like car, home or health insurance. How confident are they that nothing will happen? 99%?

Pre-buying a 1 month stock of the basic goods you'd normally buy anyway will cost you 1% of the cost in lost interest, 2% if you buy on credit. 6 months costs 1.7%/3.4%.

It's not much of an insurance premium to pay, considering the potential payout. Best of luck.

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999.


All,

Thank you for your help with this problem. I will try the "insurance" routine if there's an opportunity...

I've tried to rationally explain that stocking up a few days worth of food and water wouldn't hurt, at most, if Y2K is a bust, then she'd have lower grocery bills for a while - what I'd call a win-win situation. However, with her, if it's not her idea then it's no good - it's been that way for a long time now, with everyday situations, not just with Y2K.

Anyway, thanks again gang! You folks are better than family, ya know! :-) I hope that something will work to wake her up.

-- Deb M. (vmcclell@columbus.rr.com), November 29, 1999.


Deb M,

I think you may have nailed it when you said, " However, with her, if it's not her idea then it's no good - "

Is there some way you can make her think it's her own idea? Is there something you can recall from the past that might have been even a small interpretation of stocking up for something on her part? Such as is she the kind of person who has all her Christmas shopping done in January? Anything along those lines? If there's something you can find like that then maybe you can gush about what a good example she set and how smart she was to do that-- that it was because of that you decided to stock up on sales, etc., too.

I realize that's a stretch. A big stretch. But you identified that with her, it has to be her idea. Now you just have to think of a way to make her think that it was.

(An aside to Sheila who wrote: "Guy! What? Are you mental!..." No, I think it just is that he's the youngest of 3 siblings.)

-- (notreal@this.time), November 29, 1999.


If she, or any of them call again, don't say a word. Just hang up. Turn on your answering machine and screen all calls. Change your phone number to an unlisted one.

Treat them as if they were already dead of arrogant stupidity.

-- hunter (way@up.north), November 29, 1999.


Before you can convince anyone of the prudency of preparing for Y2K, you have to convince them that Y2K could impact them personally. How do you convince them that their money might be at risk if there is are problems at the ATM and the bank. The only credible way of doing this would be ask them to check with their bank's information to customers on Y2K. The bank will invariably say they've got the problem licked and they are even prepared for anything unforeseen. What do you do then? Throwing internet reports and articles from far flung newspapers in their face won't cut it against the local bank manager, whom they may know and trust. Shoving abstract stuff about the theoretical possibility of problems, the ignorance of bank managers, the deceit of bosses and politicians etc. is just as useless an argument. The plain fact is the common mans sense tells him that if there were any risks to everygody's welfare and prosperity from Y2K, then he would know about it, he would be told about it from official sources (the government, the electricity company, the phone company, the bank).

No matter how logical the argument for preparation is you need first to convince your DWGI that a TEOTWAWKI situation is possible. And you also need to convince him that there is a good probability of it happening. The only other way I can think of to convince anyone is to tell them something like: I think Y2K is a lot of BS, but there is enough wind in its sails to create mild anxiety at the New Year. If that does unfold, then people might clean the shelves anyway, regardless of what they know about Y2K. So why not anticipate this and do your Xmas-New year shopping early.

Personally I don't really know if Y2K is nine-tenths BS or not. Not yet I don't.

if they check at the bank and are told that they have fixed all their problems

-- Ouch! (Tired_of_pinching@myself.com), November 29, 1999.


Sorry bout that, but you get my drift. You can't convince or logically lead someone toward y2k prepping unless you can first convince them that there is something to prepare for. You can't do that if the all of a regular person's regular reference points are telling him that everything will be moreorless allright, and the 'less' part of that is also catered for (the market will compensate, fix on failure, workaround, happens all the time etc.).

You might be able to convince some people that preps, self- sufficiency etc. is a good and environmentally friendly thing in itself, but this is a long-haul idealistic or political thing not suited to an imminent/deadline thing like y2k.

I'll stop now.

-- Ouch! (Tired_of_pinching@myself.com), November 29, 1999.


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