Do you need apologies to make yourself feel better about the choices you made for yourself? Are you not willing to take responsibility for your own actions? Why do people have to bow down to you in humble submission because you may feel ashamed for your own actions?

-- karen (karen@karen.karen), January 04, 2000

Answers

Do you like to mudwrestle?

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.cum), January 04, 2000.

Good point, Karen! I don't remember anyone making me buy all those preps, which are still definitely useful! Besides, what if we had not prepared, and the worst had happened? The demands for apologies would REALLY fly then, eh wot?

-- Jay Urban (Jayho99@aol.com), January 04, 2000.

Does anyone else remember the "Popeye" movie with Robin Williams? I am reminded of Olive Oyle's senile grandfather in that movie, demanding apologies from everyone he encountered, including total strangers. At least, for him, there would have been an answer to Karen's question..."Because I have alzheimers."

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), January 04, 2000.

A very underrated movie that was. I thought Williams did a great job, and usually he tends to make my skin crawl.

This is what I do to make the day go by faster at work...sad isn't it?

John Ludi

-- Ludi (ludi@rollin.com), January 04, 2000.

John, "You owe me an apology!" :-)

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), January 04, 2000.

karen,

This afternoon at work a late 50ish total polly DGI woman asked me if she could have some of my food. I was shocked. I told her that I had been eating it for months, which is true. Apparently she believes that the rollover to 01JAN00 was the only Y2K concern. She doesn't have a clue to what's coming, nor does she believe America will fall.

So there she is asking for food, having NEVER prepared -- even unto bragging about her unpreparedness. I don't understand this mindset. Do you?

There are still some more pollies who are waiting their turns to say stupid things to me.

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), January 04, 2000.

It seems to me that those who are asking for apologies are self appointed guardians of the "poor ignorant masses" who capparently could not "think" for themselves and therefore need self appointed guardians. I have not noticed even one person come forward and say, "you owe me and apology". It is always, "you owe us..." or "you owe them...".

Truth be known, we all sometimes forget how insignificant we are in the scheme of things and want to put on that badge of feigned self-righteousness and our blue suit and ride out into the night to become some social superhero protecting the masses. Doomers and Pollys alike fall to this conceit. I recall once being told that I was not nearly as important as I thought myself to be, right here on this forum. It stung but whomever it was (and I honestly don't remember or I'd credit them here) was quite correct.

Things will go on tomorrow. They will be what they will be. If I pass on to a better place tonight (instead of the place I belong) a few people will notice, perhaps even one person on this board. It will not make a rats hill of beans in a week to anyone but those closest to me. That is the case with all of us, isn't it?

So some people seek to feel better or more important by taking up causes they percieve to be important. Is it important that anyone apologize to anyone else here? I mean in the grander scheme of things? Probably not...

I am tired of the fighting and bickering yet I engage in it myself, why? Because I want to win the argument. I want to be right. I want to be vindicated against all those who willingly insult me and those who share my opinion. It seems to me this applies to both sides here. It certainly applies to me.

Today in particular I tire of this. I am looking at a trend which I merely sense and it may be only my imagination but it worries me. It worries me because we can't resolve our differences. We, all forum regulars, pollys and doomers alike are the band. We play our childish games and hurl insults, demand apologies, ruffel our feathers and strut our stuff, to what end.

We, collectively, are the band playing while the ship cruises ahead full steam without a hand on the wheel for that hand has declared y2k is a non-event and dropped the issue into the hands of the people who created it, business and industry.

The following is a WHAT IF statement and as such is worth nothing if you try to cash it in later, a point for thought, a target of flame. What if this market bubble is world wide? What if, whether it be y2k related or not, we are watching it pop tonight? If that is the case do you really think it matters who wins the argument?

Just something to consider.

-- Michael Erskine (Osiris@urbanna.net), January 04, 2000.

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

Wh y Pollyticians Should Be Held Accountable While Warners Should Not Be

In due time.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), January 05, 2000.

Exactly, Michael.

The perception that "we" (collective masses) have been in someway duped or led astray by those who only voice an extracted opinion - such as Yourdon - make people mad when they feel stupid. If one feels superior or "right", it does give one false confidence. So, before the roll-over when the immediate outcomes were unknown, people reveled in that confidence. They made decisions concerning buying preparations, supplies, and securing their home because they felt "right".

Now that there is an immediate result known (although that does NOT cover the long-term effects still to come of which Americans in particular seem to not be able to grasp), one feels foolish and stupid for making decisions that were so "right" before the roll-over. All of these calls for apologies are merely a stab at placing blame on someone else because that person feels stupid. They don't want to take responsibility for their own actions.

I for one enjoy the fact that we are so well organized in the home now, having lived through 2 hurricanes, a tornado, many ice storms, and many, many violent thunderstorms that extinguished power/water/escape from our home due to downed trees over the 1/2 mile long dirt driveway. We sure could have used what we have now over the past 12 years to keep warm, dry, and fed during those week long power outages.

It sure makes me wonder where the line of "polly-sheeple" ends and the "GI-sheeple" begin. It is useful to take ALL of the information shared on this forum from beginning to end and make great use of it in ALL circumstances. Why be so JIT and "immediate gratification" oriented?

And yes, with the current financial situation perpetuating itself in the stock market, Y2K or not, there may be an entirely new set of circumstances that will blindside the unprepared. That is another "what if", as you say. But a good one to keep a close eye on.

-- karen (karen@karen.karen), January 05, 2000.

"that will blindside the unprepared" --- EXACTLY...A BAD SURPRISE!

It's coming soon...

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), January 05, 2000.

karen,

"The perception that "we" (collective masses) have been in someway duped or led astray by those who only voice an extracted opinion - such as Yourdon - make people mad when they feel stupid."

In my case there was no single voice. I never read all that much of any one person's point of view. For example, I found Gary North's website to be an excellent resource...BUT NOT BECAUSE OF GARY NORTH OR HIS BELIEF SYSTEM! The articles on his site, those not written primarily by himself, were invaluable to me in formulating my own opinion. The "pollies" would have it that all of us to a person were slavishly following the apocalyptic notions of such as Milne and North to the letter. As an independent thinker I find this personally offensive. I came to my conclusions through 3 years of logical analysis of the given facts and arguments, if my conclusions were wrong (remains to be seen to a degree) it was NOT because they were based upon emotional hysteria.

John Ludi

-- Ludi (ludi@rollin.com), January 06, 2000.