I may get flamed for this, and this is my opinion only. The recent rash of warnings associated with ONE man bringing some suspect items across the border has raised my suspision level considerably. Whether this is a real or fabricated event makes no difference at this point. From here on out, I expect the following to happen. If I'm wrong, I'll be truly surprised.

1) Increased reports of "suspects" detained at the borders for a variety of reasons. Most will be benign, but will be reported and wildly speculated on in the press.

2) Increased arrests in the US of suspect individuals. Also, any questionable event (like the recent theft of bomb making materials in Arizona) will be reported to death. The media is going to have a field day in the next 2 weeks.

3) Increasingly urgent warnings from the State Department to United States citizens about the liklihood of domestic terrorism. Not just overseas anymore. This will sufficiently alarm enough people to cancel their New Years plans. This is what the government wants. People at home, off the streets. No need for maritial law before the event. More manageable numbers of those who do venture out.

3) Cancellation of the party at the DC mall. Clinton will make a dramatic announcement of this fact, possibly on or around Dec.28. This will convince even more people to "hole up" instead of taking to the streets.

4) The party in Times Square will go on as planned, but at reduced levels. Police will abound.

What happens in the first few days/weeks of 2000? It depends on the level of Y2K disruptions to the infrastructure. If the disruptions are severe, a state of emergency is declared while the government goes to war with the "terrorists". If the disruptions are minor, the government declares victory over them and sings it's own praises.

Of course over the next few months, as things cascade, they will have their hands full with all of those "hackers"...

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), December 22, 1999

Answers

"I have met the enemy and he is us" - Pogo

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), December 22, 1999.

Could be the blame game in full force. Have you noticed recent news magazine shows on TV unforming the sheeple that HACKERS can and will break into 911 systems, utility companies, banks, and other infrastructure computers. So its not the computers that will fail next year because the code was bad, but all these other reasons. Makes you wonders if we are going to see ANY y2k failure or whether everything will be blamed on those pesky haskers and terrorist. Don't forget about the drunken revelers hitting utility pole to knock out your electricity also.

-- y2k dave (xsdaa111@hotmail.com), December 22, 1999.

I could not agree more. This mornings paper says "Feds issue second terrist warning". So far, as I see it, if they had info, why issue general platitudes to be carefull when they could tell me something like "Don't go into the building a at 1051 Adams street because there is a pretty good chance it will blow up."

But seriously, all of this terrorist talk is too vague for my taste. What really kills me though is, where are those investigative journalists? I would think that this info is too vague for them as well.

Of course, I don't know however IMHO it seems that the government's plan is now very clear. Claim that all of the coming disruptions will the work of terrorists. Then ride in to "save the day".

------

-- Omega Man (wishing I were H@ri Seldon.com), December 22, 1999.

Reluctantly, I have to agree. Y2K seems to be being used by many parties to leverage their own goals: increased profit, increased budget, increased control.

As for investigative journalism, ha! That takes time, which costs money, and it rarely turns up anything that people want to read about anyway. It's far more efficient (ie. cheaper) to just print the official spin, or propagate gossip about celebrities' sex lives and eating habits.

-- Servant (public_service@yahoo.com), December 22, 1999.

There are two ways to control a society: (1)by fear...(2)by hope. Our careless leaders have chosen fear.

-- Kitster (hope@Truth.net), December 22, 1999.

Go back a few and read 'Red Alert for millenium' thread started by Prep Scout.

-- COLONEL M.I. LITIA (snafu@thecompound.com), December 22, 1999.

I agree. Talk of terrorism in the newspaper is very suspicious. Normally officials talk about terrorism as little as possible; they're doing it now only to manipulate us.

If they're trying to keep people off the streets, they might succeed. I'm certainly planning to go nowhere that weekend, not even to religious services. Whether the lights go out or not. New Year's is always insane, but this year people are going to me more insane than usual. More stupid people doing stupid things...

-- staying home (not@going.nowhere), December 22, 1999.

Correction, a little further back, the one stared by Homer Beanfang.

-- COLONEL M.I. LITIA (snafu@thecompound.com), December 22, 1999.

Terrorism is the best friend Big Government ever had. Terrorism is a risk. Y2K is a risk. But only the risk of terrorism... even from just one guy crossing the border, can justify the huge increase in surveilence and "security measures". People will give up any right in exchange for "security". Expect another gun "incident".. probably a bunch of kiddies singing Christmas carols... something to justify a total gun grab by E.O. Is that what Joe Lockart was hinting about?

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), December 22, 1999.

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"The great mass of people. . . will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one."

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Adolf Hitler Mein Kampf, vol. 1, ch. 10 (1925).

-

-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), December 22, 1999.

ever read "fourth reich of the rich"? pg.206 tells of the plans for OUT OF CHOAS WILL COME THE NEW WORLD ORDER....THE ENTIRE SCHEME IS UNFOLDING FOR JUST WHAT IS DESIRED BY THE ELIETIST...JUST MAKE SURE YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE....JESUS FOREWARNED AND FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED WITH KNOWLEDGE...GOD BLESS US ALL....AND AMERICA!

-- diannehughes (diannehug@aol.com), December 22, 1999.

Cohen and Berger started chatting up the terrorism drill months ago without mentioning Y2K. The chatter increased monotonically ever since and has now become a Y2K issue. Dave's theory? They have orchestrated the round up to increase steadily to the CDC. Hell these guys have so many suspects under surveillance now that they could pre- set the number of bad guys rounded up per day. If TSHTF, it's CYA time. Sheesh. I've been hanging with you militarist, libertarian, black-helicopter-watchin' conspiracy theorists for so long ya now got me talkin crazy. Ooops. It's medication time. Gotta go.

-- Dave (aaa@aaa.com), December 22, 1999.

At precisely 12 o'clock midnight, December 31st, all ESE agents are to climb the nearest telephone pole and proceed to chew chew chew on the cables. Victory shall be ours! There will be a reception at Farmer Bobs' immediately after our conquest. Fresh nuts and creek water will be served. BELIEVE!!!! Aktar, Leader of the Evil Squirrell Empire.

-- Aktar (thesquirrell@apolenear.you), December 22, 1999.

Ah yes, the set up to close down Wall Street all next week. Then, while Wall Street is closed to trading, the US can finally have their week long Y2K prep buying spree without concern of panic selling of stocks.

-- GoldReal (GoldReal@aol.com), December 22, 1999.

I don't know why anyone is suprised by all of this. Didn't they start setting the stage for 'terrorist' activities back in Aug/Sept? Anyone who's a regular up here has certainly seen this coming...

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), December 22, 1999.

I think that there's definitely something to all this terrorist alert stuff. I've talked to several "mild" GI's lately, who are suddenly much more concerned about terrorism than Y2K now.

I can't think of any better reasons why TPTB would make such a big issue out of this stuff right now, than those that have been discussed here on this thread.

If there really is a serious threat of terrorism and the government was acting true to form, than they would try to keep us just as un/misinformed as they do about everything else (TWA 800, for example).

There must be some ulterior motive behind these warnings.

-- Clyde (clydeblalock@hotmail.com), December 22, 1999.

Think about it: if the gov wants to keep as many people home as possible, you have to worry them somehow:

Terrorism is EASY to understand, Y2K is NOT.

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), December 22, 1999.

Patriotism in the traditional sense is anathema to the current government, as is individual rights. And vice versa.

So the "lines in the sand" are drawn, and have been in plain sight for at least the last 8-16 years or so.

Government rights grabbing is a trigger for individual rights advocates, and individuals exercising their rights is a trigger for big government to get bigger.

Terrorism provides a handy reason to take away more individual rights on behalf of the state. It also conditions the public for a politically correct pre-programmed response to any counter threat to the current neo-totalitarian administration (perceived or otherwise) and any pre-emptive reactions or overreactions it might make in the coming days and weeks.

(Conclusion: if you're not prepared for a 10, you may be toast...)

Season's Greetings!

-- Zygote (zygote1@zygote1.zygote1), December 22, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr (pic), near Monterey, California

I first saw terrorism discussed within a week or so of when I first realized Y2K could be a big problem, back in January. My impression is that they really want people to be preparing, but they had to find a way to encourage it without ensuring a panic as the tension mounts toward the end of the year.

Just as there are always terrorist threats in any year, there were surely some real ones this year, and will likely be more as the year draws to a close. However, I believe there are also some that are manufactured. Using a terrorist pretext it is possible to mobilize government resources without ensuring a year-end pressure cooker. Since the public's preparations for terrorist incidents would overlap somewhat with those for Y2K, government can turn the spigot on and off by starting rumors to create anxiety or by "catching" perpetrators, to take the pressure off.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), December 23, 1999.