I'm wondering if there will be a ramping up of Y2K glitches being used as a tool to demand for more funds, supplies, and investments into their local economies? (My reasoning is that if the Ukraine is using Chernobyl as a "sledgehammer" to get the pipeline of funds moving, it seems logical that other countries might use the same tactic with Y2K.)

Any good articles to support that theory? Any opinions as to how much $$$ and for how long that tactic might work?

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

Answers

It's already happened. Washington D.C. has hundreds of IBM consultants working like mad with a blank check from the US taxpayer. BTW, you know that increasing the number of people working on a software project increases the time until completion, so guess who won't be done.

-- VegasBoy (uno@who.com), November 29, 1999.

Oops, sorry Vegas Boy - I should have asked:

Will foreign countries use Y2K as a form of "velvet gloved blackmail"?

(i.e. Pakistan perhaps saying "help us maintain our nukes, or we else we might do something stupid and spread radioactive material..." or similar threats.)

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

Deb,

You are an astute observer of international affairs, likely more astute than most U.S. congressmen.

-- Rick (rick7@postmark.net), November 29, 1999.