What's happening in Seattle is dead on topic. It doesn't matter what they are protesting. This shows just how easlily a group of concerned people can create a scenario where extremists can take advantage an create anarchy. Then the officials, also unwittingly, over-react and further aggrevate the situation. This could EASILY spin out of control.

Multiply this times every city in the world which has problems next year. Then add terrorism, opportunistic thugs, over-zealous or just plain scared cops and you have the recipe for MAJOR problems.

-- MegaMe (CWHale67@aol.com), December 01, 1999

Answers

Add in the power failures. huger, panic, a stock market crash, ect... and things get even worse! Exactly, what we're all worried about... Thanks for pointing this out MegaMe! :)

-- Crono (Crono@timesend.com), December 01, 1999.

Yep.

Especially since it's a global world... and the decisions *some* make... effect others... to varying degrees.

Rather directly analogous to Y2K.

It's a small world... afterall.

;-D

Lessons to learn. Or not.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 01, 1999.

You've got it! Not only major problems but Major, Major, Major Broblems!

-- Kayla (kaylam@jetcity.com), December 01, 1999.

You've got it! Not only major problems but Major, Major, Major Problems!

-- Kayla (kaylam@jetcity.com), December 01, 1999.

I'm sorry to say that I do not understand your comments explaining why you believe that the situation in Seattle is on topic.

Doesn't Y2K stand for year 2000? And isn't it therefore a date related issue rather than a political issue?

Or are we now expected to believe that any and all events that are outside the normal daily situation are Y2K induced?

If this is the case then the Soweto riots in South Africa 20 years ago, The Rodney King riots in LA etc. are all Y2K related. If these are not also Y2K related then can you please explain again the link between WTO protests in Seattle, and the failure of computer software to reconise 01/01/00 as occuring in the year 2000.

Malcolm

-- Malcolm Taylor (taylorm@es.co.nz), December 01, 1999.

I'm sorry to say that I do not understand your comments explaining why you believe that the situation in Seattle is on topic. ---------------------------------------------------------------------

OK, Once more. And I'll try to type slowly.

NO, the situation in Seatle is not caused by a 2 or 4 digit date conversion. It IS however a prime example of how quickly a situation can get out of hand. It IS an example of how 3rd party agitators can take advantage of a legitimate protest and evoke a hostile confrontation between civilians and authorities. It is an example of law enforcement jumping to the guns a little too fast.

More importantly; Right now, gov't policy-makers around the country are saying "See, this is what happens when we don't take control." Extremist militants are saying "See, this is what happens when they come in with black helicopters to take us away." Disgruntled anti- social punks are saying "See, this is how much confusion we can create when everyone else is distracted." John Q Public is saying "See, this is exactly what we need to prepare for come January." And the kicker is that they are all basicly right.

Y2K is not a computer problem, or a people problem, or a management problem, or a political problem, or a class problem, or a economic problem, or a _______ problem. It's ALL of the above, and then some. If you focus on one to the exclusion of the others, you are guaranteed to miss the point.

"DGI" means you can't see things going from A:little date problem to Z:major breakdown. That is because it doesn't go from A to Z. It goes from A to B to C to D to E to F............to Z. Where B through Y are small, simple, seemingly logical at the time, steps which by themselvs are not dangerous. But together, they could easily lead to a SEVERE malfunction. The AFL-CIO did not plan to see any windows broken or get gassed. The Seatle authorities did not think this would happen either. But it did. Years from now, people may look back and say "They didn't think Y2K was a big deal, but it was." That's the thing with people in general, and crowds in particular. Events can easily snowball out of control.

What happens in January if in just one town there is a problem. And people are concerned and gather in the streets seeking answers. And just one poor young cop or Guardsman panics and someone is shot? Maybe nothing, or maybe TSHTF. Multiply by many cities, and it moves from a possibility to a probability. That is my point.

-- MegaMe (CWHale67@aol.com), December 01, 1999.

To top it off, the protestors who are being arrested just for being there (over 300) are being carted off IN BUSES to empty military bases which have been turned into CAMPS.

-- tinfoil discussions becoming reality (read@news.deja vu), December 01, 1999.

Is the WTO protest related to Y2K? No it is not because it is NOT a result of Y2K. Y2K has yet to happen. It is about as on topic as chemtrails are.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), December 01, 1999.

Guy, I appreciate your feedback, but I think the issue has become confused.

I never mentioned WTO. I'm talking about the reactions of people and law enforcement to chaos and disorder. I think that is very on topic. I don't care if the protests were over jelly bean prices, the result is the same.

-- MegaMe (CWHale67@aol.com), December 01, 1999.

MegaMe, when you said "I'm talking about the reactions of people and law enforcement to chaos and disorder." That is exactly the point the I, and some other pollies have been saying all along. If there are social problems next year, they are unlikely to be related to Y2K, but more likely to be due to people's pecieved fears of Y2K.

The really unfortunate bit about all of this is that it is the extremists among the Y2K aware group who are fostering that fear. No one is denying that there will be some issues to be faced because of Y2K failures, but it is very unlikely that any such failures would, in themselves, cause any social unrest.

So again I say that the Seattle situation is NOT related to Y2K, and is as far off topic as one can get.

Malcolm

-- Malcolm taylor (taylorm@es.co.nz), December 01, 1999.

Malcolm,

Let me make the connection for you.

The problem with the WTO: Multi-national corporations and governments shoving what's in their best interest, down the throats of the general population.

Dealing with the Y2K problem: Multi-national corporations and governments shoving what's in their best interest, down the throats of the general population.

What's good for corporations and government leaders does not equate to what's good for the general population, in either case.

-- GoldReal (GoldReal@aol.com), December 02, 1999.