I am always amazed how those considered to be the fringe are accused of being such low life characters when the establishment (who ever they are) use the same tactics and are considered the only legitimate players.

What about this approach: You realize sir, you do have a wife and three children who depend on you and the income you provide. What would happen to those poor children if they lost their daddy to some horrible accident? The least you could do is leave them financially independent. How about a small life insurance policy, say for $2 million. This will only cost you $300/month for the rest of your life. Of course if you commit suicide in the first year the policy is void.... That is considered legitimate business. How about this one: Well sir, I was noticing the car seats in your car. How many small children do you have? Drive them in the car often, do you? The reason I'm asking, I was noticing your brakes are not so good and that left rear tire is showing considerable ware. Those children are precious cargo, wouldn't want anything to happen to them? ..That's legitimate business. What about this: Did you know that heart disease is still the leading killer of men in the age group 50-75 years. You may have heart disease and not know it. We at (any hospital) think you should evaluate your risk and come in and have our heart scan. It only takes a few minutes and it may save your life Do you suppose any of these businesses are making money from selling fear? Sure, the facts may be true and the possibility of the situation they insinuate coming to pass could happen. But so could the events being described to Y2K customers by those selling their items.

For the establishment to attack anyone for selling Y2k items, whether it is books, videotapes, food or grain grinders is just absurd. When they do, it says, we are the elite and can engage in selling fear, you, however may not.

As a footnote, I am note labeling people who are selling Y2K items as fear-mongers, I am only pointing out that for anyone to call Y2K entrepreneurs anything other than legitimate businesses and to try and classify them as something less, is pure HOGWASH.

-- UR2Blame (upower@jnb.com), December 10, 1999

Answers

Good points. Like the tire commercial that shows the baby sitting on the tire. Wanna tell me that one's not based upon fear also? Too bad some polly idiots don't have the reasoning abilities to see the connection.

-- Dolly Llama (DollyLlama@Tibet.com), December 10, 1999.

It's the age old elitist vs. commoner war. Peasants vs. lords. No matter what happens, there will be people in charge telling people like me what to do, and having force of arms to do it. The elites will always look down on commoners, the commoners will always hold elites in contempt. Human nature being what it is, the haves will always use any tactic to maintain advantage over the have nots, whether it is a system of royal birthright or economic manipulation. This is just another example of that mindset being manifested.

Get used to it.

OH MY GOD! I WAS ACTUALLY LUCID FOR A MOMENT!

Sheeeeeshhh....well, back to the nuthouse,

Kook

-- Y2Kook (Y2Kook@usa.net), December 10, 1999.

Wow, calm down! We've won this one! There's a long, long list of companies and Federal and State departments that are making serious recovery preps, right the way up to the Washington Bunker.

We're just doing what they do, not what they say.

-- Servant (public_service@yahoo.com), December 10, 1999.

Y2kook,"Our Enemy the State"-Edward J Noch, a very good read

-- eric micael (bizarr4@hotmail.com), December 10, 1999.

Hey Kook, The point was using fear of loss to make a sale. Not fear of loss of life. The examples contained no force of arms. I don't use Michelien tire and didn't have to return fire to have them mounted and balanced.

-- gary (a@a.com), December 10, 1999.

Ur2Blame-- Excellent point. This makes me think of all the people who have been cutting Mike Adams. Doesn't Adams have a right to sell his services, receive income for publicizing emergency food and gear, etc. In the process of making money off of Y2K he has also gotten the word out to thousands of prople and rattled a few cages. Hey, we're not stupid...most of us on this forum can see through a sales pitch.

-- No Polly (nopolly@hotmail.com), December 10, 1999.

Let us eat cake!!

-- Jay Urban (Jayho99@aol.com), December 10, 1999.