I just finished reading that post from Jeff Rense's website and we could all learn from it. I have sat here wondering why some critics here are so gleefull and eager to trash those of us who asked questions and expressed concerns. It's so easy to pass judgment and see yourself as self-righteous and others as morons so I gave myself a mental kick and tried to see the other side.

Perhaps there are some here who are younger or who have thankfully never experienced the hardships that could have occurred from serious Y2K problems. (Hopefully all continues to go well and you never do!) I must honestly admit that some years ago I may have held the same attitude. So, I'd like to ask those of you who feel a need to gloat to just listen to the other side for a moment.

Where I live severe winter storms often take out power for days. Being prepared is part of life here and we don't take things for granted - we know the hardships even a few days can mean - and how easily and fast it can happen. So it is very hard for me to understand why some would scoff at others for taking steps to prepare just in case. But it can be inconceivable to those some who feel invulnerable.

But my whole neighbourhood has benefited from preparing on a personal level too. I watched as people made plans and offered shelter to those with special needs should it become necessary. I watched people and communities come together and plan for the worst so that no one would suffer should there be problems. There was no panic, no meanness, no hoarding. Yes, none of us trusts either the government or the media, but we trusted each other and worked together and just applied common sense. We didn't build bunkers but we didn't bury our heads in the sand and pretend disaster only happens to others.

I don't mean to discount the hard work done by our civil servants, because many people I know put in long hard hours and gave up vacations 'just in case'. I am grateful for their work or I may not be talking to you now.

So, if nothing happens, we're left with updated systems and the knowledge that people can work together to help each other even without a disaster. I may have a few more canned and dried goods than usual but I hate shopping anyway and don't have to for awhile! And if all hell breaks loose - well, I'll gladly open my door to someone who didn't because it could have been me not so long ago.

-- Jadin (Jadin_2000@yahoo.com), January 02, 2000

Answers

Jadin,

You wonder why the pollies are gleeful. Other than the fundamental fact that they are not socially mature, there is an important philosophical difference between them and us.

Nowadays there are many who subscribe to the view "Believing will make it true." These folks are relativists who do not accept an objective reality. Instead, they are the "Perception is reality" crowd.

They believed that if everyone thought there would be a Y2K problem, then there would be. And if everyone thought there would not be, then there wouldn't be.

This is why they did not debate using persuasive arguments. They instead insulted those who disagreed with them, hoping that a desire to avoid hurt feelings would persuade us to agree with them, thus changing reality along with our opinions.

-- GA Russell (ga.russell@usa.net), January 02, 2000.

GA,

Is it possible that they may be right? How else would you explain no major infrastructure problems?

-- Michael (mhgentry@prodigy.net), January 02, 2000.

I've been around too long and seen too much not to agree with Michael -we tend to get what we expect; therefore logic suggests we create our own reality. I don't believe that is why some here are so vengeful - it's also been my experience that those who truly believe this theory are much more tolerant than those who do not. BTW - Albert Einstein also believed this theory about reality to be true. Seems more likely that those who are so quick to put others here down may be living in much more fear than were those of us who accepted that there could be a problem and then took steps to deal with it?

-- Jadin (Jadin_2000@yahoo.com), January 03, 2000.