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-On the eve of the millennium,
as some Americans party
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like it's 1999...
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-Six. Five. Four.
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- others believe
the end of the '90s...
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-3, 2...
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- marks a countdown to the end
of the world.
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- 1. Happy 2000!
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-Y2K is like a perfect scenario
for the collapse of society.
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-For many, the fear is from
a computer glitch long ignored.
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-It could happen
that planes fall out of the sky.
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-Could the omission
of two simple digits
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affect the destiny
of all humankind?
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- But for others...
- It's called The Militia,
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and by God, no constable is
going to break their door down.
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They'll shoot them first.
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-Y2K is another government plot
to steal their freedom.
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-This is the biggest lie
that's ever been put
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before the American public.
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-It all spreads
panic and paranoia.
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{\an8}-Countdown to Y2K begins.
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{\an8}Gentlemen, caulk your bunkers.
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-Until everyone wonders,
is this "Apocalypse Now?"
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-This is not
one of those summer movies
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where you can close your eyes
during the scary parts.
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{\an8}♪♪
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[ Dial-up modems screeching ]
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{\an8}♪♪
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{\an8}-Randy Weaver brought his family
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{\an8}to the top of this mountain
nine years ago
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{\an8}because he wanted
to be left alone.
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{\an8}Now, a force of 200 police,
federal agents,
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{\an8}and the National Guard
have surrounded the house.
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-Early in the 1990s, the ATF
and other federal officers
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attempt to execute a warrant
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on anti-government survivalist
Randy Weaver
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over an outstanding
weapons charge.
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It leads to an 11-day standoff
in Ruby Ridge, Idaho.
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-Weaver is wanted on charges
of selling two illegal
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sawed-off shotguns
to a federal informer.
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-When the smoke clears,
Weaver's wife,
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their 14 year-old-son,
and a U.S. marshal are dead,
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leaving anti-government anger
simmering among his supporters.
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{\an8}♪♪
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-You're going to burn in hell!
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You have a 15-year-old son.
Are you proud of yourself?!
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[ Indistinct shouting ]
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{\an8}♪♪
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-Weaver's charged with murder,
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conspiracy,
and some lesser crimes,
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but because the FBI and ATF
failed to identify themselves
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as law enforcement,
celebrity defense lawyer
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Gary Spence successfully
argued self-defense.
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-We have to stick
with our rights.
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We have to fight for them.
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And if we fight for them,
people can hear us.
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-The verdict legitimizes
the anti-government hate
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at the core
of a growing movement
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of militant extremists
across the country.
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-It was very easy for right wing
extremists to imagine
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that the federal government was
willing to go after anybody
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that it disagreed with and use
lethal force in doing that.
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-And soon,
that fear and paranoia
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will morph a legitimate
worldwide technological crisis
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into one more example of how the
feds are plotting to get them.
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The crisis is Y2K,
a computer anomaly experts say
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could unleash global Armageddon.
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-They had proclaimed the world
is going to end tomorrow.
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You know, this was doomsday.
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-People worried about
technical failures.
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{\an8}My name is Francine Uenuma.
I'm a freelance writer.
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{\an8}And I wrote a piece for Time.com
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{\an8}about the 20-year anniversary
of Y2K.
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There was a lot of fears
about power grids,
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our broader
sort of infrastructure.
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-And nuclear power plants...
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{\an8}♪♪
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may cease to generate
the electricity we need.
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-It's the kind of tricky
international problem
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most people look
to government to solve.
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But in the '90s, America's
burgeoning militia movement
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sees a trap and is arming itself
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in preparation
of a government clampdown.
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-The far right was
on their guard.
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-5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
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[ Static ]
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-But Y2K didn't have
to be a crisis at all.
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Because this Canadian had been
warning everyone
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about this moment for 20 years.
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-Before Y2K, it was a nobody.
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I was a computer operator.
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I fed paper into an IBM printer.
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And then in 1979,
I noticed the problem.
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{\an8}I'm Peter de Jager, and I'm not
only the Paul Revere of Y2K,
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{\an8}I was also the gloom
and doomster.
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{\an8}♪♪
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Back in the 1960s, 1970s,
at the beginning of the day,
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when you started up
the computer,
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so there was no place
for the computer
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to get the date and the time
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because the Internet
didn't exist.
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So you had to enter it in.
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"Tell me what the year is."
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And you type in two digits...
'79.
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-All these programs were
written, you know,
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in the '50s or '60s,
and data was expensive.
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And so they shortened the year
to two digits.
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-Now, I'd just came out of
university,
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studying numerical analysis.
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{\an8}♪♪
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And I figured that, well,
something is going to go wrong
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on January the 1st, year 2000.
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Because we're going to enter
"00"
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and the computer
is going to think it's 1900.
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{\an8}♪♪
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-It's Peter's lightbulb moment.
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The computer's confusion
over what year it is
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could lead
to cataclysmic consequences.
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{\an8}♪♪
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-I started to try
and make people aware of it...
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My boss.
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And he said,
"You're worried about a problem
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that isn't going to happen
for 21 years.
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Get out of my office.
Someone will fix it by then."
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-Peter's boss was misguided
because even as he said,
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"Someone will fix it,"
those someones had been ignoring
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the two-digit date problem
for decades.
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{\an8}♪♪
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-In 1970, the Scottish Bank
Widows Bank ran into a problem
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when they were entering
in 30-year mortgages.
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The closing date of the mortgage
is in the year 2000.
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The computer didn't
take kindly to that.
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Still the standard phrase was,
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"Someone else
will fix this by then."
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-Of course, no one does.
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And as the world
begins to explore cyberspace,
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the issue becomes
even more urgent.
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-In 1989, Sir Tim Berners-Lee...
He's a British scientist...
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He invented the World Wide Web,
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and that set the stage
for the '90s.
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[ Dial-up modems screeching ]
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{\an8}I'm Steve Morgan, founder of
Cyber Security Ventures
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00:07:13,183 --> 00:07:17,580
{\an8}and Editor in Chief
at Cybercrime magazine.
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So we enter the '90s
and it's a whole new world.
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It's an online world. Everybody
was living differently.
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{\an8}♪♪
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-In the early 1990s,
our personal computers,
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the high-end ones,
had 640K of memory.
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High-density storage was 360K
on a large floppy drive.
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I mean, this was the stone age
of computer time.
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{\an8}♪♪
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-And as '90s PC makers
try to change that.
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{\an8}-Featuring the SLC processor...
The fastest in its class.
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-By enthusiastically introducing
faster models
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with even more memory to.
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-The PS2 SLC.
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00:08:01,147 --> 00:08:03,250
-Peter's becoming
increasingly passionate
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about repairing
the looming Y2K bug.
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-Truth of the matter is,
Y2K offended me.
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It was a stupid, silly problem,
and no one is paying attention.
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00:08:18,873 --> 00:08:22,561
-Peter's compelled to go public
with his concerns.
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-Back in 1993,
I wrote the article
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that kicked all of this off...
"Doomsday 2000."
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It wasn't my first article
on Y2K.
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I had written another one called
"Tick Tock, Tick Tock,
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Time's a-Wasting."
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Well, that got no attention
at all,
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except from one
or two journalists who said,
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"Ha ha, silly little programmer
is trying to scare the world.
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Isn't this funny?
Ha ha ha."
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Computer World, at the time,
was the magazine
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for the IT industry,
out to more than
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00:08:54,284 --> 00:08:59,932
300,000 people
in the US every single week.
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-Peter's "Doomsday 2000" article
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00:09:02,333 --> 00:09:05,688
finally grabs the attention
of the computer community.
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00:09:05,712 --> 00:09:09,108
-Someone would ask, "Well,
how bad could it be, Peter?"
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And the honest answer of that
is pretty bad.
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It could happen that planes
fall out of the sky,
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elevators go into the ground.
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00:09:18,475 --> 00:09:21,078
Pharmaceutical companies
have expiry problems,
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00:09:21,102 --> 00:09:24,623
inventory control problems.
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00:09:24,647 --> 00:09:26,292
ATM machines.
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All computer systems,
especially financial systems.
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Wherever you have a computer
controlling something,
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there was a possibility
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00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:38,304
the computer
wouldn't be able to do its job.
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-It means every bank,
institution, corporation,
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00:09:40,997 --> 00:09:42,391
and government in the world
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could suffer
massive operational failures
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at the turn of the century.
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00:09:47,212 --> 00:09:49,482
But while some insiders
are listening,
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00:09:49,506 --> 00:09:52,067
convincing organizations
to take action
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00:09:52,091 --> 00:09:55,654
against the millennium bug
is nearly impossible.
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00:09:55,678 --> 00:10:02,161
-In the early 1990s, people at
the top really didn't understand
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00:10:02,185 --> 00:10:06,665
how much they depended
upon their computer systems.
195
00:10:06,689 --> 00:10:09,251
And then along come people
like myself.
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00:10:09,275 --> 00:10:13,756
And we have to have this fixed
by the year 2000.
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00:10:13,780 --> 00:10:18,469
And, oh, by the way, it's going
to cost a truckload of money.
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00:10:18,493 --> 00:10:21,555
They're going to be very,
very reluctant to believe you.
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00:10:21,579 --> 00:10:25,267
-But Peter's underlying message
of impending doom and gloom
200
00:10:25,291 --> 00:10:27,353
does find a receptive audience
201
00:10:27,377 --> 00:10:30,189
in America's rising
right wing militia groups,
202
00:10:30,213 --> 00:10:32,107
who increasingly believe
they're at war
203
00:10:32,131 --> 00:10:34,610
with the government
over their freedoms.
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00:10:34,634 --> 00:10:37,112
{\an8}♪♪
205
00:10:37,136 --> 00:10:40,658
Eight months after the standoff
with Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge,
206
00:10:40,682 --> 00:10:44,912
a compound outside Waco, Texas,
explodes with bloodshed,
207
00:10:44,936 --> 00:10:47,998
igniting even more
anti-government sentiment.
208
00:10:48,022 --> 00:10:50,501
-The Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, and Firearms
209
00:10:50,525 --> 00:10:54,672
launched a raid on the compound
210
00:10:54,696 --> 00:10:58,926
of a small religious sect
called the Branch Davidians,
211
00:10:58,950 --> 00:11:03,013
who have a sort of
an apocalyptic mindset.
212
00:11:03,037 --> 00:11:06,350
The ATF had information
that they had illegal weapons,
213
00:11:06,374 --> 00:11:08,477
which they did.
214
00:11:08,501 --> 00:11:10,938
[ Gunfire ]
215
00:11:10,962 --> 00:11:13,274
- Get out of here!
- Alright, calm down.
216
00:11:13,298 --> 00:11:14,608
Let me tell you
what they're doing.
217
00:11:14,632 --> 00:11:16,318
Ceasefire.
They're ceasefiring.
218
00:11:16,342 --> 00:11:20,656
They want to move their
injured troops out of there.
219
00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:22,157
-Four agents are killed.
220
00:11:22,181 --> 00:11:23,826
A number of Davidians
are killed or wounded.
221
00:11:23,850 --> 00:11:29,540
This precipitates
a 51-day standoff.
222
00:11:29,564 --> 00:11:32,001
{\an8}I'm Mark Pitcavage,
and I'm a senior research fellow
223
00:11:32,025 --> 00:11:35,838
{\an8}with the Anti-Defamation
League Center on Extremism.
224
00:11:35,862 --> 00:11:37,590
[ Police radio chatter ]
225
00:11:37,614 --> 00:11:39,675
[ Clattering ]
226
00:11:39,699 --> 00:11:41,760
The FBI comes in and takes over,
227
00:11:41,784 --> 00:11:45,431
and they basically try to force
an end to the standoff,
228
00:11:45,455 --> 00:11:47,391
which goes horribly awry.
229
00:11:47,415 --> 00:11:51,187
[ Sirens wailing ]
230
00:11:51,211 --> 00:11:55,774
The Davidians start setting
fires on the compound.
231
00:11:55,798 --> 00:11:58,861
Large numbers of them
are burned to death.
232
00:11:58,885 --> 00:12:01,155
-Along with their leader,
David Koresh,
233
00:12:01,179 --> 00:12:04,909
76 Branch Davidians die
in the siege.
234
00:12:04,933 --> 00:12:07,828
-America was shocked.
Both the ATF and the FBI
235
00:12:07,852 --> 00:12:10,748
come under
considerable criticism,
236
00:12:10,772 --> 00:12:15,127
but especially, it agitated
the far right.
237
00:12:15,151 --> 00:12:19,215
In Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992,
and Waco, Texas in 1993,
238
00:12:19,239 --> 00:12:23,302
federal agents killed multiple
people, including children.
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00:12:23,326 --> 00:12:25,304
{\an8}♪♪
240
00:12:25,328 --> 00:12:29,099
Both those incidents really
riled up the extreme right,
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00:12:29,123 --> 00:12:31,852
and in fact, helped generate
a whole new extremist movement
242
00:12:31,876 --> 00:12:34,063
in the United States,
the militia movement.
243
00:12:34,087 --> 00:12:36,899
-And soon, followers of
America's militia movement
244
00:12:36,923 --> 00:12:39,151
will commit
previously-unthinkable acts
245
00:12:39,175 --> 00:12:41,362
to further
their anti-government agenda.
246
00:12:41,386 --> 00:12:44,573
-That was a big wake up call
to people in the United States.
247
00:12:44,597 --> 00:12:47,934
[ Indistinct shouting ]
248
00:12:52,188 --> 00:12:53,499
-In the mid-'90s, Peter de Jager
249
00:12:53,523 --> 00:12:54,833
and a group
of computer programmers
250
00:12:54,857 --> 00:12:56,585
are attempting and failing
251
00:12:56,609 --> 00:13:00,130
to save the world's computers
from the Millennium Bug.
252
00:13:00,154 --> 00:13:01,924
-As I continued to beat
the drum,
253
00:13:01,948 --> 00:13:06,887
{\an8}I became known
as the Paul Revere of Y2K
254
00:13:06,911 --> 00:13:10,224
{\an8}or the doomsayer
or the fear monger,
255
00:13:10,248 --> 00:13:12,101
{\an8}or however
you want to phrase it.
256
00:13:12,125 --> 00:13:13,519
I was that guy.
257
00:13:13,543 --> 00:13:15,938
That was difficult
and that was frustrating.
258
00:13:15,962 --> 00:13:18,482
While Peter and others struggle
to be heard,
259
00:13:18,506 --> 00:13:19,984
another, more sinister group
260
00:13:20,008 --> 00:13:22,361
with their own end
of the world concerns
261
00:13:22,385 --> 00:13:25,948
is making its mark, sparked
by anti-government standoffs
262
00:13:25,972 --> 00:13:28,534
at both Ruby Ridge and Waco.
263
00:13:28,558 --> 00:13:31,537
America's militia movement
is expanding.
264
00:13:31,561 --> 00:13:34,373
{\an8}-The first militia group
emerges beginning
265
00:13:34,397 --> 00:13:36,959
{\an8}in '94 with
the Militia of Montana,
266
00:13:36,983 --> 00:13:40,421
{\an8}and numerous
other groups start popping up
267
00:13:40,445 --> 00:13:44,633
{\an8}all around the country
within the next few months.
268
00:13:44,657 --> 00:13:47,886
The militia movement believed
that the rest of the world
269
00:13:47,910 --> 00:13:51,515
was essentially controlled
by a global, tyrannical,
270
00:13:51,539 --> 00:13:55,269
socialist One World government.
271
00:13:55,293 --> 00:13:58,355
-They called it
the New World Order.
272
00:13:58,379 --> 00:14:00,649
-They believe our own government
273
00:14:00,673 --> 00:14:03,527
was actually collaborating
with the New World Order
274
00:14:03,551 --> 00:14:06,363
to slowly strip us
of our rights and freedoms,
275
00:14:06,387 --> 00:14:09,867
starting with our right
to keep and bear arms.
276
00:14:09,891 --> 00:14:12,161
Because once
we're rendered defenseless,
277
00:14:12,185 --> 00:14:13,662
we too will be absorbed
278
00:14:13,686 --> 00:14:16,457
essentially as slaves
into the New World Order,
279
00:14:16,481 --> 00:14:19,752
and that is what Americans
have to fight against.
280
00:14:19,776 --> 00:14:22,504
-The militia movement,
Spear of a New World Order,
281
00:14:22,528 --> 00:14:27,092
becomes a rallying cry
for many right wing Americans.
282
00:14:27,116 --> 00:14:31,180
-God bless America and death
to the New World Order!
283
00:14:31,204 --> 00:14:33,807
[ Cheers and applause ]
284
00:14:33,831 --> 00:14:36,226
-Their distrust is fueled
by Bill Clinton,
285
00:14:36,250 --> 00:14:40,564
who signs the federal assault
weapons ban into law in 1994,
286
00:14:40,588 --> 00:14:44,443
providing more ammunition
for the militia movement's rage.
287
00:14:44,467 --> 00:14:47,321
-The people of the United States
must keep their arms.
288
00:14:47,345 --> 00:14:49,656
It's the only way
to stop tyranny.
289
00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:52,743
-It grew remarkably rapidly and
spread across the whole country,
290
00:14:52,767 --> 00:14:56,121
and it brought in a bunch
of new blood to the far right...
291
00:14:56,145 --> 00:14:58,374
A bunch of newly radicalized
people.
292
00:14:58,398 --> 00:15:02,419
{\an8}-It felt like the Lord is saying
"This is the army of the Lord
293
00:15:02,443 --> 00:15:05,506
{\an8}in the United States
for this moment."
294
00:15:05,530 --> 00:15:08,217
-The members see themselves
as patriots.
295
00:15:08,241 --> 00:15:11,553
-Like the American
revolutionaries in the 1770s,
296
00:15:11,577 --> 00:15:14,431
who took up arms against
the tyrannical British,
297
00:15:14,455 --> 00:15:16,433
modern Americans
would have to take up arms
298
00:15:16,457 --> 00:15:21,605
against their own government
and against the New World Order.
299
00:15:21,629 --> 00:15:24,024
-As PCs connect people
in cyberspace,
300
00:15:24,048 --> 00:15:27,069
militia organizers use
online bulletin board systems
301
00:15:27,093 --> 00:15:29,947
and chat rooms
to recruit new members.
302
00:15:29,971 --> 00:15:31,698
[ Dial-up modems screeching ]
303
00:15:31,722 --> 00:15:33,742
{\an8}♪♪
304
00:15:33,766 --> 00:15:36,078
Meanwhile,
Canadian Peter de Jager,
305
00:15:36,102 --> 00:15:38,914
working out of his basement
in Brampton, Ontario,
306
00:15:38,938 --> 00:15:42,501
uses the same resources to warn
the world about a problem.
307
00:15:42,525 --> 00:15:44,920
It's about to earn
its catchy name.
308
00:15:44,944 --> 00:15:47,548
{\an8}♪♪
309
00:15:47,572 --> 00:15:52,511
{\an8}-The term Y2K came out of
a shorthand used in a chat room.
310
00:15:52,535 --> 00:15:54,638
{\an8}♪♪
311
00:15:54,662 --> 00:15:57,433
Y2K sort of has this ring
to it of,
312
00:15:57,457 --> 00:16:00,435
you know... it's like R2D2,
and it kind of added, I think,
313
00:16:00,459 --> 00:16:04,481
to sort of the ominous
or catchy ring, if nothing else.
314
00:16:04,505 --> 00:16:06,191
{\an8}♪♪
315
00:16:06,215 --> 00:16:08,527
-Despite its easy-to-remember
name,
316
00:16:08,551 --> 00:16:10,737
convincing folks to spend time
and money
317
00:16:10,761 --> 00:16:13,824
to fix Y2K is a hard sell.
318
00:16:13,848 --> 00:16:17,661
-People are reluctant to listen
to bad news.
319
00:16:17,685 --> 00:16:20,038
They go, "Is it working now?"
"Yes."
320
00:16:20,062 --> 00:16:21,832
"Is it fine?"
"Yes."
321
00:16:21,856 --> 00:16:23,417
"Then don't waste
any money on that.
322
00:16:23,441 --> 00:16:25,919
We have other stuff to do."
323
00:16:25,943 --> 00:16:30,215
-While Peter agonizes over
the government doing too little,
324
00:16:30,239 --> 00:16:33,427
the '90s militia movement
continues to sign up members
325
00:16:33,451 --> 00:16:37,639
by arguing the government
is doing too much.
326
00:16:37,663 --> 00:16:39,099
The movement grows
to an estimated
327
00:16:39,123 --> 00:16:43,020
60,000 members nationwide.
328
00:16:43,044 --> 00:16:45,564
Aided by anti-government
propaganda
329
00:16:45,588 --> 00:16:47,149
passed around at gun shows,
330
00:16:47,173 --> 00:16:51,028
including the infamous videotape
"Waco, The Big Lie."
331
00:16:51,052 --> 00:16:53,280
Produced by attorney
Linda Thompson,
332
00:16:53,304 --> 00:16:56,700
the documentary helped sow
the seeds of a catastrophe
333
00:16:56,724 --> 00:16:59,328
in the mind
of a young Gulf War veteran.
334
00:16:59,352 --> 00:17:01,580
- On property they called
the Mt. Carmel Center.
335
00:17:01,604 --> 00:17:05,417
-Timothy McVeigh was
an anti-government extremist,
336
00:17:05,441 --> 00:17:09,755
but what triggered him
was the standoff at Waco.
337
00:17:09,779 --> 00:17:11,548
He actually drove
his pickup truck
338
00:17:11,572 --> 00:17:13,926
to the site of the standoff
339
00:17:13,950 --> 00:17:17,054
to give away or sell extremist
bumper stickers
340
00:17:17,078 --> 00:17:19,514
and other paraphernalia.
341
00:17:19,538 --> 00:17:21,475
And after the end
of the standoff,
342
00:17:21,499 --> 00:17:24,353
he obsesses over
Waco conspiracy theories,
343
00:17:24,377 --> 00:17:27,648
and in particular,
the conspiracy videotape
344
00:17:27,672 --> 00:17:29,691
on Waco by Linda Thompson,
345
00:17:29,715 --> 00:17:31,944
who became one of the pioneers
of the militia movement.
346
00:17:31,968 --> 00:17:33,904
- The ATF...
- Thompson claims
347
00:17:33,928 --> 00:17:35,948
in "The Big Lie"
that the Branch Davidians
348
00:17:35,972 --> 00:17:38,951
didn't start the fire
that killed 76 people.
349
00:17:38,975 --> 00:17:42,454
It was a false flag operation,
where government agents
350
00:17:42,478 --> 00:17:45,123
framed the members
of the apocalyptic cult.
351
00:17:45,147 --> 00:17:46,833
-Now they're finishing off
the job right now.
352
00:17:46,857 --> 00:17:48,710
They're destroying
the crime scene.
353
00:17:48,734 --> 00:17:51,380
America, this is the biggest lie
that's ever been put
354
00:17:51,404 --> 00:17:53,799
before the American public ever.
355
00:17:53,823 --> 00:17:57,219
-And Timothy McVeigh watched it
over and over again
356
00:17:57,243 --> 00:18:00,180
and, you know, became outraged
357
00:18:00,204 --> 00:18:02,808
at the federal government,
and, you know,
358
00:18:02,832 --> 00:18:04,851
eventually got the idea
that he wanted to attack.
359
00:18:04,875 --> 00:18:07,562
-And on the second anniversary
of what extremists call
360
00:18:07,586 --> 00:18:09,231
the Waco Massacre...
361
00:18:09,255 --> 00:18:12,109
-Here, tanks methodically push
what remains of the house
362
00:18:12,133 --> 00:18:14,611
and evidence into the fire.
363
00:18:14,635 --> 00:18:18,073
-Timothy McVeigh, along with
Army buddy Terry Nichols,
364
00:18:18,097 --> 00:18:20,742
execute their monstrous plan.
365
00:18:20,766 --> 00:18:23,578
-The Oklahoma City bombing,
which happened on April 19th,
366
00:18:23,602 --> 00:18:26,915
1995, was a huge fertilizer bomb
in a truck.
367
00:18:26,939 --> 00:18:30,002
Tim McVeigh drives it
to the Bureau Federal Building
368
00:18:30,026 --> 00:18:31,753
and sets it off.
369
00:18:31,777 --> 00:18:34,881
[ Indistinct shouting ]
370
00:18:34,905 --> 00:18:39,594
{\an8}♪♪
371
00:18:39,618 --> 00:18:41,054
It becomes the worst act
372
00:18:41,078 --> 00:18:42,973
of domestic terrorism
in United States history
373
00:18:42,997 --> 00:18:46,268
and the second worst act
of terrorism, period,
374
00:18:46,292 --> 00:18:49,479
in our country's history,
second only to the 9/11 attacks.
375
00:18:49,503 --> 00:18:53,025
-The bombing in Oklahoma City
was an attack
376
00:18:53,049 --> 00:18:58,947
on innocent children
and defenseless citizens.
377
00:18:58,971 --> 00:19:03,660
-The Oklahoma City bombing
kills 168 innocent people,
378
00:19:03,684 --> 00:19:06,038
including 19 children.
379
00:19:06,062 --> 00:19:09,791
-Oklahoma City was hard for us
to process.
380
00:19:09,815 --> 00:19:11,793
You're looking at that
at a young age
381
00:19:11,817 --> 00:19:15,714
and saying, "What would drive
somebody to do that?"
382
00:19:15,738 --> 00:19:19,551
{\an8}♪♪
383
00:19:19,575 --> 00:19:21,595
-It shocked the whole country
384
00:19:21,619 --> 00:19:24,139
and the images of firefighters
385
00:19:24,163 --> 00:19:27,184
cradling the bodies
of bloody infants,
386
00:19:27,208 --> 00:19:29,353
you know, that they had taken
out of the rubble
387
00:19:29,377 --> 00:19:32,564
had just a tremendous effect
on everybody.
388
00:19:32,588 --> 00:19:35,692
-But not everyone responds
in the same way.
389
00:19:35,716 --> 00:19:38,570
Despite the carnage
being aired on live TV,
390
00:19:38,594 --> 00:19:41,156
right wing extremists believe
McVeigh is a patsy
391
00:19:41,180 --> 00:19:44,076
taking the fall
in another big lie.
392
00:19:44,100 --> 00:19:45,911
They credit the government
with the attack
393
00:19:45,935 --> 00:19:48,914
and accuse the media
of engineering a cover up...
394
00:19:48,938 --> 00:19:50,415
All of it to convince Americans
395
00:19:50,439 --> 00:19:54,044
to go along
with the New World Order.
396
00:19:54,068 --> 00:19:57,464
-They killed 86 people in Waco.
397
00:19:57,488 --> 00:20:01,676
I don't see why they'd have
a problem with killing 168 more.
398
00:20:01,700 --> 00:20:03,845
-In the summer of 1995,
just a couple of months
399
00:20:03,869 --> 00:20:05,597
after the Oklahoma City bombing.
400
00:20:05,621 --> 00:20:09,559
I actually created a website
about right wing extremism.
401
00:20:09,583 --> 00:20:13,814
And this was at a time when
the World Wide Web was so tiny,
402
00:20:13,838 --> 00:20:16,692
that I literally could
and did look at every mention
403
00:20:16,716 --> 00:20:18,944
of the word "militia"
on the entire Internet.
404
00:20:18,968 --> 00:20:21,113
When these groups
first started popping up
405
00:20:21,137 --> 00:20:24,574
and claiming to be descended
from the original historical,
406
00:20:24,598 --> 00:20:27,744
legitimate militia,
the historian in me was like,
407
00:20:27,768 --> 00:20:30,956
"What? That's totally bogus."
408
00:20:30,980 --> 00:20:32,874
When the U.S. Justice Department
creates
409
00:20:32,898 --> 00:20:35,335
an anti-domestic terrorism
program,
410
00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:37,254
they hire Mark Pitcavage,
411
00:20:37,278 --> 00:20:40,132
who quickly identifies
a new possible trigger
412
00:20:40,156 --> 00:20:43,051
for right wing
extremist attacks...
413
00:20:43,075 --> 00:20:45,095
Y2K.
414
00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:47,139
-For anti-government extremists
415
00:20:47,163 --> 00:20:49,641
who think that the United States
government is collaborating
416
00:20:49,665 --> 00:20:51,601
with the New World Order
to take over,
417
00:20:51,625 --> 00:20:53,603
Y2K is like a perfect scenario
for that.
418
00:20:53,627 --> 00:20:55,522
There could be, you know,
a significant collapse
419
00:20:55,546 --> 00:20:58,650
of society, and the government
would use that as an excuse
420
00:20:58,674 --> 00:21:01,361
to do everything
on its nefarious agenda.
421
00:21:01,385 --> 00:21:03,530
-Militia members look
for any opportunity
422
00:21:03,554 --> 00:21:05,073
to spread their message,
423
00:21:05,097 --> 00:21:07,325
including a surprising
appearance on "Donahue"
424
00:21:07,349 --> 00:21:09,494
before millions of Americans.
425
00:21:09,518 --> 00:21:12,164
-Do you think that the feds
are coming,
426
00:21:12,188 --> 00:21:14,332
they're going to suspend
the Constitution,
427
00:21:14,356 --> 00:21:16,251
they're going to
take your guns away.
428
00:21:16,275 --> 00:21:17,794
-The government comes for my
gun, I'm simply going
429
00:21:17,818 --> 00:21:19,171
to let them have it.
- You'd pull the trigger
430
00:21:19,195 --> 00:21:20,672
on a federal agent
coming up to your place?
431
00:21:20,696 --> 00:21:22,215
-I will. A man's home
is his castle.
432
00:21:22,239 --> 00:21:24,342
If I had to die proving that,
so be it.
433
00:21:24,366 --> 00:21:26,386
{\an8}♪♪
434
00:21:26,410 --> 00:21:28,430
-Concern that confusion over Y2K
435
00:21:28,454 --> 00:21:31,349
will be the catalyst
for more extremist violence,
436
00:21:31,373 --> 00:21:33,977
Congress calls a hearing
to lay out the facts
437
00:21:34,001 --> 00:21:36,605
and invites
the Paul Revere of Y2K,
438
00:21:36,629 --> 00:21:38,523
Peter de Jager.
439
00:21:38,547 --> 00:21:44,029
-I was a nobody... you know,
Y2K person without portfolio.
440
00:21:44,053 --> 00:21:46,615
And then finally, governments
were beginning to wake up,
441
00:21:46,639 --> 00:21:54,372
and I testified before the U.S..
I testified in Australia.
442
00:21:54,396 --> 00:21:59,377
I did some work with Tony Blair
and them over in the U.K..
443
00:21:59,401 --> 00:22:03,340
-As international governments
wake up to the perils of Y2K,
444
00:22:03,364 --> 00:22:05,800
so do media outlets
around the world.
445
00:22:05,824 --> 00:22:08,136
-The government is not
a little behind,
446
00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:10,305
but way behind.
- Tremendously behind.
447
00:22:10,329 --> 00:22:12,933
The wake-up call is now.
448
00:22:12,957 --> 00:22:15,101
-With pressure mounting
on the U.S. government,
449
00:22:15,125 --> 00:22:16,645
the need arises for someone
450
00:22:16,669 --> 00:22:19,648
to lead
the bureaucratic charge for Y2K.
451
00:22:19,672 --> 00:22:21,358
The question is who.
452
00:22:21,382 --> 00:22:23,610
Having spent 20 years
in the private sector
453
00:22:23,634 --> 00:22:25,570
and 25 in the public sector,
454
00:22:25,594 --> 00:22:30,575
I've, as they say, spent my life
dealing with crises.
455
00:22:30,599 --> 00:22:32,994
So one night,
the president called.
456
00:22:33,018 --> 00:22:34,830
So we talked for about
10 or 15 minutes.
457
00:22:34,854 --> 00:22:36,498
Then the next night,
the vice president,
458
00:22:36,522 --> 00:22:38,041
Al Gore, called me,
and I said, "You know,
459
00:22:38,065 --> 00:22:39,668
if you get the pope
to call me tomorrow night,
460
00:22:39,692 --> 00:22:42,504
I might take this job."
461
00:22:42,528 --> 00:22:44,506
{\an8}I'm John Koskinen.
I was the chair
462
00:22:44,530 --> 00:22:47,467
{\an8}of the president's council
on year 2000 conversion.
463
00:22:47,491 --> 00:22:49,010
I'm responsible for coordinating
464
00:22:49,034 --> 00:22:50,845
the federal government's role
465
00:22:50,869 --> 00:22:54,182
in ultimately 170 countries
around the world.
466
00:22:54,206 --> 00:22:56,226
{\an8}♪♪
467
00:22:56,250 --> 00:22:57,852
So, needless to say,
468
00:22:57,876 --> 00:23:01,690
I signed up to take
on the responsibility for Y2K.
469
00:23:01,714 --> 00:23:03,733
-But is it too little, too late?
470
00:23:03,757 --> 00:23:06,027
With only two years
until the year 2000,
471
00:23:06,051 --> 00:23:09,447
people fear Koskinen
won't be able to avert disaster.
472
00:23:09,471 --> 00:23:13,368
We went from, "This is silly.
This is nonsense."
473
00:23:13,392 --> 00:23:16,288
To, "Oh, my God, we're not going
to have enough time to fix it."
474
00:23:16,312 --> 00:23:19,982
[ Indistinct shouting ]
475
00:23:23,777 --> 00:23:25,046
-There he is.
476
00:23:25,070 --> 00:23:26,298
-These things that you're
talking about...
477
00:23:26,322 --> 00:23:27,549
You did them to Jerry..
478
00:23:27,573 --> 00:23:28,800
-Jerry is very
is very dangerous.
479
00:23:28,824 --> 00:23:30,844
-By 1998,
even as Hollywood turns
480
00:23:30,868 --> 00:23:32,554
right wing conspiracy theories
481
00:23:32,578 --> 00:23:36,141
into a movie storyline,
far right talk radio hosts
482
00:23:36,165 --> 00:23:39,352
are claiming Y2K is
a legitimate government plot.
483
00:23:39,376 --> 00:23:41,438
-You're the children,
and the government's
484
00:23:41,462 --> 00:23:44,399
your mommy and daddy.
Big brother.
485
00:23:44,423 --> 00:23:46,359
Let me tell you something.
486
00:23:46,383 --> 00:23:48,236
Let me tell you something
right now...
487
00:23:48,260 --> 00:23:49,904
They're going to do this.
488
00:23:49,928 --> 00:23:52,574
{\an8}-Y2K has a very significant
impact on the far right
489
00:23:52,598 --> 00:23:56,202
{\an8}in the United States
in the late 1990s.
490
00:23:56,226 --> 00:24:00,123
{\an8}-You had so many people
who truly believed
491
00:24:00,147 --> 00:24:02,167
{\an8}that these events were connected
492
00:24:02,191 --> 00:24:05,128
{\an8}and part of something larger
and more nefarious.
493
00:24:05,152 --> 00:24:08,298
I remember in the '90s,
driving around and seeing,
494
00:24:08,322 --> 00:24:09,966
you know, the bumper stickers
on the truck,
495
00:24:09,990 --> 00:24:13,303
"I love my country,
but I fear my government."
496
00:24:13,327 --> 00:24:14,804
-But behind the scenes,
497
00:24:14,828 --> 00:24:16,848
despite the potentially huge
cost of failure
498
00:24:16,872 --> 00:24:19,100
and his exceptionally
late start,
499
00:24:19,124 --> 00:24:22,354
John Koskinen's work
as the new man in charge of Y2K
500
00:24:22,378 --> 00:24:25,106
is much more mundane
than nefarious.
501
00:24:25,130 --> 00:24:27,525
-The president gave me the job
and an office and said,
502
00:24:27,549 --> 00:24:30,403
"Don't let the world stop."
503
00:24:30,427 --> 00:24:33,198
So I show up in the old
executive office building
504
00:24:33,222 --> 00:24:35,533
and I flip on the light switch.
505
00:24:35,557 --> 00:24:39,204
{\an8}And it occurred to me what
happens on January 1st, 2000
506
00:24:39,228 --> 00:24:43,124
{\an8}if you flip the switch
and there's no power.
507
00:24:43,148 --> 00:24:46,503
Stoplights don't work.
Phones don't work.
508
00:24:46,527 --> 00:24:49,089
You know,
criminals can run wild.
509
00:24:49,113 --> 00:24:51,549
So the art form
was to get everybody
510
00:24:51,573 --> 00:24:55,261
who had a system worried enough
to pay attention to it
511
00:24:55,285 --> 00:25:00,058
without panicking everybody
who depended on those systems.
512
00:25:00,082 --> 00:25:01,643
-Ultimately, Koskinen has to get
513
00:25:01,667 --> 00:25:03,436
tens of thousands of
organizations
514
00:25:03,460 --> 00:25:06,564
to fix their systems by changing
two-digit dates
515
00:25:06,588 --> 00:25:11,778
to four-digit dates in millions
of lines of computer code.
516
00:25:11,802 --> 00:25:15,156
-Social Security had
52 million lines of code.
517
00:25:15,180 --> 00:25:16,825
So there were thoughtful
people who thought,
518
00:25:16,849 --> 00:25:20,704
"You're never going to get
it done. It's impossible."
519
00:25:20,728 --> 00:25:22,914
-With the Y2K clock
counting down,
520
00:25:22,938 --> 00:25:25,208
Peter de Jager steps up
his speaking engagements
521
00:25:25,232 --> 00:25:28,128
to help spread the word.
522
00:25:28,152 --> 00:25:29,838
{\an8}-The vibe was John the Baptist.
523
00:25:29,862 --> 00:25:32,799
{\an8}A cartoonist for one of
the newspapers over in the UK,
524
00:25:32,823 --> 00:25:35,135
{\an8}drew a caricature
of me in robes,
525
00:25:35,159 --> 00:25:36,928
{\an8}you know,
ringing a bell type of thing.
526
00:25:36,952 --> 00:25:40,181
We certainly played into that.
527
00:25:40,205 --> 00:25:42,934
My ties always
had clocks on them.
528
00:25:42,958 --> 00:25:45,687
{\an8}♪♪
529
00:25:45,711 --> 00:25:47,355
-When he's not on the road,
530
00:25:47,379 --> 00:25:51,067
Peter's focused on
his burgeoning website traffic.
531
00:25:51,091 --> 00:25:54,070
-We had an online mailing list,
and at one point,
532
00:25:54,094 --> 00:25:58,324
we had 80,000 subscribers.
533
00:25:58,348 --> 00:26:02,495
We used to get 4-500 emails to
the mail list every single day.
534
00:26:02,519 --> 00:26:05,498
Well, this was me working out
of my office in the basement,
535
00:26:05,522 --> 00:26:10,587
organizing this
global communications network.
536
00:26:10,611 --> 00:26:13,173
{\an8}♪♪
537
00:26:13,197 --> 00:26:15,425
-Peter also teams up
with John Koskinen
538
00:26:15,449 --> 00:26:17,802
to coordinate their efforts.
539
00:26:17,826 --> 00:26:20,847
-One of my strategies was to
talk to people
540
00:26:20,871 --> 00:26:22,724
to see what they knew.
541
00:26:22,748 --> 00:26:24,768
Peter de Jager was,
to his great credit,
542
00:26:24,792 --> 00:26:29,105
one of the early warners
about the risk of Y2K.
543
00:26:29,129 --> 00:26:34,027
-We would keep in regular
communications, which was key.
544
00:26:34,051 --> 00:26:37,655
John Koskinen approached it
from an organizational issue.
545
00:26:37,679 --> 00:26:40,992
We started at programmer level
and raised the threat
546
00:26:41,016 --> 00:26:44,078
of lawyers getting involved
so that directors
547
00:26:44,102 --> 00:26:48,166
would open up the purse strings
and get this done.
548
00:26:48,190 --> 00:26:50,960
-But the downside to successful
Y2K messaging
549
00:26:50,984 --> 00:26:53,505
is how easily those messages
get distorted
550
00:26:53,529 --> 00:26:56,591
in the new '90s Internet age.
551
00:26:56,615 --> 00:26:59,928
{\an8}-When you create enough noise
and the media gets on...
552
00:26:59,952 --> 00:27:01,763
{\an8}-And more and more experts
are warning
553
00:27:01,787 --> 00:27:04,766
{\an8}that the year 2000 could bring
a date with disaster.
554
00:27:04,790 --> 00:27:08,520
Then people who know nothing
about the problem,
555
00:27:08,544 --> 00:27:12,273
all they hear is this fear
mongering that's going on...
556
00:27:12,297 --> 00:27:14,734
And there was
a tremendous amount of it.
557
00:27:14,758 --> 00:27:18,029
-And there won't be any
elections in the year 2000.
558
00:27:18,053 --> 00:27:20,740
There will be a declaration
of martial law.
559
00:27:20,764 --> 00:27:23,660
You must teach your children
560
00:27:23,684 --> 00:27:26,371
to use a weapon and use it well.
561
00:27:26,395 --> 00:27:29,124
-Many people on the far right
became convinced that Y2K
562
00:27:29,148 --> 00:27:32,210
could cause
the collapse of society.
563
00:27:32,234 --> 00:27:34,212
So, for example,
for white supremacists,
564
00:27:34,236 --> 00:27:37,715
they are concerned
about society collapsing.
565
00:27:37,739 --> 00:27:40,134
[ Sirens wailing ]
566
00:27:40,158 --> 00:27:42,971
And all the non-whites
coming out of the cities
567
00:27:42,995 --> 00:27:44,389
into the countryside,
568
00:27:44,413 --> 00:27:46,474
and that this could
start a race war.
569
00:27:46,498 --> 00:27:49,060
-The far right's fear
of a collapse of society
570
00:27:49,084 --> 00:27:52,272
helps revive survivalism
across America.
571
00:27:52,296 --> 00:27:55,984
-We have about a year's supply
of food here for Y2K.
572
00:27:56,008 --> 00:27:58,319
-You have to stockpile food,
weapons,
573
00:27:58,343 --> 00:28:00,029
survival goods, and gear.
574
00:28:00,053 --> 00:28:04,158
-If it's a case of my family
or some other one,
575
00:28:04,182 --> 00:28:08,162
then I'm going to opt
for protecting my family.
576
00:28:08,186 --> 00:28:10,707
-And as you get closer
to the end of the decade,
577
00:28:10,731 --> 00:28:13,334
you have a lot of survival expos
more explicitly,
578
00:28:13,358 --> 00:28:18,131
call themselves, like,
Y2K survival expos.
579
00:28:18,155 --> 00:28:20,592
-As these events flourish,
they give militia groups
580
00:28:20,616 --> 00:28:22,927
the opportunity
to meet in the real world
581
00:28:22,951 --> 00:28:27,348
and exchange their incendiary
government beliefs.
582
00:28:27,372 --> 00:28:29,058
-It becomes one
of the core beliefs
583
00:28:29,082 --> 00:28:31,352
of the militia movement
of the 1990s,
584
00:28:31,376 --> 00:28:34,439
that there are actually
600-800 concentration camps
585
00:28:34,463 --> 00:28:37,358
already built in
the United States, fully manned,
586
00:28:37,382 --> 00:28:42,280
but empty, but ready for people
to be rounded up when Y2K occurs
587
00:28:42,304 --> 00:28:44,324
and the government steps in
588
00:28:44,348 --> 00:28:48,119
to do all
of its nefarious things.
589
00:28:48,143 --> 00:28:51,456
And so they go to look
for evidence of these camps,
590
00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:53,082
get over fences
and take photographs
591
00:28:53,106 --> 00:28:55,668
of federal facilities
that they think have been turned
592
00:28:55,692 --> 00:28:58,046
into a concentration camp
or are scheduled to be turned
593
00:28:58,070 --> 00:29:00,381
into a concentration camp.
594
00:29:00,405 --> 00:29:02,508
-The militia movement's
suspicion triggers
595
00:29:02,532 --> 00:29:04,427
a deadly plan in Texas.
596
00:29:04,451 --> 00:29:06,804
-A militia cell with members
from a variety
597
00:29:06,828 --> 00:29:10,642
of different states plotted
to attack U.S. military bases
598
00:29:10,666 --> 00:29:12,852
that they thought were housing
"New World Order"
599
00:29:12,876 --> 00:29:16,648
foreign soldiers, and settled
upon Fort Hood in Texas.
600
00:29:16,672 --> 00:29:19,817
They wanted to attack
on the 4th of July.
601
00:29:19,841 --> 00:29:21,778
And if it weren't
for some undercover officers
602
00:29:21,802 --> 00:29:24,197
on the Missouri State
Highway Patrol,
603
00:29:24,221 --> 00:29:25,990
they might have been successful.
604
00:29:26,014 --> 00:29:29,702
-Instead, the FBI arrests Kansas
militia leader Bradley Glover
605
00:29:29,726 --> 00:29:32,997
and accomplice Michael Dorsett
in a Texas campground
606
00:29:33,021 --> 00:29:36,793
with a lethal cache of weapons.
607
00:29:36,817 --> 00:29:41,422
In late '90s America,
with the specter of Y2K looming,
608
00:29:41,446 --> 00:29:45,051
extremist threats of all kinds
are increasing.
609
00:29:45,075 --> 00:29:49,222
1999 arrives with a cacophony
of doomsday predictions
610
00:29:49,246 --> 00:29:52,308
about the end times.
611
00:29:52,332 --> 00:29:56,813
-The doomsday preppers
started to get involved.
612
00:29:56,837 --> 00:29:59,691
They were basically saying,
"We're all going to die."
613
00:29:59,715 --> 00:30:02,384
{\an8}♪♪
614
00:30:05,470 --> 00:30:07,907
-Our island in space.
Our civilization.
615
00:30:07,931 --> 00:30:10,702
-As the one-year countdown
to the millennium begins,
616
00:30:10,726 --> 00:30:14,247
Leonard Nimoy goes
where no one has gone before,
617
00:30:14,271 --> 00:30:17,959
delivering
the Y2K Family Survival Guide.
618
00:30:17,983 --> 00:30:21,254
-How could the omission
of two simple digits
619
00:30:21,278 --> 00:30:24,632
affect the destiny
of all humankind?
620
00:30:24,656 --> 00:30:27,468
-The New Year ushers in
a heightened level of anxiety
621
00:30:27,492 --> 00:30:29,345
from the spiritual realm.
622
00:30:29,369 --> 00:30:35,101
-I believe that Y2K may be God's
instrument to shake this nation,
623
00:30:35,125 --> 00:30:37,353
humble this nation,
start revival
624
00:30:37,377 --> 00:30:39,272
that spreads
the face of the earth
625
00:30:39,296 --> 00:30:41,190
before the rapture
of the church.
626
00:30:41,214 --> 00:30:44,027
{\an8}-Some fringe religious groups
become convinced
627
00:30:44,051 --> 00:30:46,946
{\an8}that the end of the world
is near
628
00:30:46,970 --> 00:30:50,616
{\an8}or some other cataclysmic event
is coming soon.
629
00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,120
-One such apocalyptic cult is
Colorado's Concerned Christians,
630
00:30:54,144 --> 00:30:55,788
led by Monte Kim Miller,
631
00:30:55,812 --> 00:30:58,458
a former pharmaceutical
executive.
632
00:30:58,482 --> 00:31:01,002
America is Satan's kingdom,
counterfeiting
633
00:31:01,026 --> 00:31:04,213
the true earthly kingdom of God
to come from Israel.
634
00:31:04,237 --> 00:31:05,798
-Miller believes
the U.S. president
635
00:31:05,822 --> 00:31:08,217
and the Antichrist
are one and the same,
636
00:31:08,241 --> 00:31:11,637
and that Y2K will bring
the second coming of Christ.
637
00:31:11,661 --> 00:31:13,806
{\an8}♪♪
638
00:31:13,830 --> 00:31:15,808
He even moves his
Concerned Christians
639
00:31:15,832 --> 00:31:18,227
to Jerusalem to prepare for it.
640
00:31:18,251 --> 00:31:20,605
-In what form did God
speak to you about this?
641
00:31:20,629 --> 00:31:22,440
-He speaks through my mouth.
642
00:31:22,464 --> 00:31:25,193
{\an8}♪♪
643
00:31:25,217 --> 00:31:28,321
-Just months later,
on January 3rd, 1999,
644
00:31:28,345 --> 00:31:30,531
police in Israel arrest
and deport Miller
645
00:31:30,555 --> 00:31:32,742
and 13 other cult members.
646
00:31:32,766 --> 00:31:35,661
-Police suspect they plan
to carry out violent acts
647
00:31:35,685 --> 00:31:39,082
to bring about an apocalypse
in the year 2000.
648
00:31:39,106 --> 00:31:43,544
-While America's doomsday cults
are stirring up trouble abroad,
649
00:31:43,568 --> 00:31:48,174
on U.S. soil,
survivalism is on the rise.
650
00:31:48,198 --> 00:31:49,801
-The number of patriots
for profit,
651
00:31:49,825 --> 00:31:51,636
so to speak, really were huge...
652
00:31:51,660 --> 00:31:53,179
People trying to make a buck
653
00:31:53,203 --> 00:31:55,807
by selling you a year's supply
of dried beans,
654
00:31:55,831 --> 00:31:59,644
by selling you
40,000 rounds of ammunition.
655
00:31:59,668 --> 00:32:02,438
They would have like
these big, underground,
656
00:32:02,462 --> 00:32:04,273
like, plastic bomb shelters...
657
00:32:04,297 --> 00:32:05,858
Like, they looked
like septic tanks,
658
00:32:05,882 --> 00:32:07,485
except you're supposed to live
in them.
659
00:32:07,509 --> 00:32:09,237
You know, bury it underground,
fill it full
660
00:32:09,261 --> 00:32:10,613
of supplies and stuff.
661
00:32:10,637 --> 00:32:14,200
"And we got a sale this Sunday!"
You know?
662
00:32:14,224 --> 00:32:16,119
"Conveniently just for you."
663
00:32:16,143 --> 00:32:19,205
{\an8}-Call now and order
your ultimate Y2K survival kit.
664
00:32:19,229 --> 00:32:23,292
{\an8}-Y2K survivalist goods are in
high demand across America.
665
00:32:23,316 --> 00:32:26,879
John Koskinen and Peter de Jager
are forced to do damage control
666
00:32:26,903 --> 00:32:28,756
to stave off the public panic
667
00:32:28,780 --> 00:32:32,009
that could cause desperate runs
on the nation's supply chain.
668
00:32:32,033 --> 00:32:34,637
-Are you really confident
that you were all ready?
669
00:32:34,661 --> 00:32:36,430
-We're confident
that the basic infrastructure
670
00:32:36,454 --> 00:32:38,474
of the United States is going to
function effectively.
671
00:32:38,498 --> 00:32:41,978
{\an8}-I did more than 2000
media interviews.
672
00:32:42,002 --> 00:32:44,021
-Everywhere where
there's a computer program,
673
00:32:44,045 --> 00:32:45,481
you are affected.
674
00:32:45,505 --> 00:32:48,234
-The noise level got very,
very high.
675
00:32:48,258 --> 00:32:50,987
I remember one conference
where the speaker in front of me
676
00:32:51,011 --> 00:32:52,905
was actually
telling the audience
677
00:32:52,929 --> 00:32:57,034
that nuclear weapons
were going to launch...
678
00:32:57,058 --> 00:33:01,080
That there is a nuclear
holocaust going to happen.
679
00:33:01,104 --> 00:33:03,875
I got up and said,
"The speaker you just heard...
680
00:33:03,899 --> 00:33:06,752
That's absolute B.S..
It's nonsense."
681
00:33:06,776 --> 00:33:08,421
[ Crowd cheering ]
682
00:33:08,445 --> 00:33:10,923
-But end-of-the-world paranoia
is reaching a fever pitch
683
00:33:10,947 --> 00:33:12,800
in mainstream media.
684
00:33:12,824 --> 00:33:15,887
-100 day countdown to Y2K
begins.
685
00:33:15,911 --> 00:33:18,097
Gentlemen, caulk your bunkers.
686
00:33:18,121 --> 00:33:20,433
[ Explosion ]
687
00:33:20,457 --> 00:33:22,518
{\an8}♪♪
688
00:33:22,542 --> 00:33:24,395
-To prevent an
international crisis,
689
00:33:24,419 --> 00:33:28,858
Koskinen organizes an emergency
meeting of the United Nations.
690
00:33:28,882 --> 00:33:32,403
{\an8}-We had 170 countries gathered
at the United Nations,
691
00:33:32,427 --> 00:33:34,155
{\an8}which was the largest meeting
in history,
692
00:33:34,179 --> 00:33:37,533
{\an8}other than the General Assembly
meeting at the U.N..
693
00:33:37,557 --> 00:33:39,493
-But despite Koskinen's
best efforts,
694
00:33:39,517 --> 00:33:42,079
anxiety and doom
continue to spread.
695
00:33:42,103 --> 00:33:43,873
-People thought that this was
going to be
696
00:33:43,897 --> 00:33:46,125
a disaster for everybody.
697
00:33:46,149 --> 00:33:48,669
- What if they're right?
- My gosh.
698
00:33:48,693 --> 00:33:51,881
-The survival of millions
hangs in the balance.
699
00:33:51,905 --> 00:33:55,468
"Y2K: The Movie."
700
00:33:55,492 --> 00:33:58,429
-In November of '99,
an internal FBI report
701
00:33:58,453 --> 00:34:01,307
detailing the threats
of Y2K domestic terrorism
702
00:34:01,331 --> 00:34:02,934
is leaked to the public.
703
00:34:02,958 --> 00:34:05,102
-We did have a concern
of terrorist groups
704
00:34:05,126 --> 00:34:07,980
would try to take advantage
of any chaos that happened,
705
00:34:08,004 --> 00:34:11,234
because you're going
to have huge crowds.
706
00:34:11,258 --> 00:34:17,573
One of my concerns also
was people hacking into systems.
707
00:34:17,597 --> 00:34:19,492
-Towards the end of 1999,
708
00:34:19,516 --> 00:34:22,495
there's inside information
about the hackers of the world
709
00:34:22,519 --> 00:34:28,584
putting together a Y2K virus
that will strike at midnight.
710
00:34:28,608 --> 00:34:30,670
-There are also threats
to disrupt or destroy
711
00:34:30,694 --> 00:34:33,381
some of the nation's
critical infrastructure.
712
00:34:33,405 --> 00:34:35,383
In the days leading up
to the millennium,
713
00:34:35,407 --> 00:34:37,843
the Feds move against
the far right extremists
714
00:34:37,867 --> 00:34:40,888
they consider most dangerous.
715
00:34:40,912 --> 00:34:43,641
-There were members of a militia
cell in California
716
00:34:43,665 --> 00:34:47,895
arrested, plotting to blow up
energy-related facilities,
717
00:34:47,919 --> 00:34:50,439
and a militia leader in Florida
718
00:34:50,463 --> 00:34:53,693
who were plotting to attack
a nuclear power plant.
719
00:34:53,717 --> 00:34:56,862
-Border police in Washington
state also catch a fugitive,
720
00:34:56,886 --> 00:34:59,615
Ahmed Ressam,
sneaking in from Canada
721
00:34:59,639 --> 00:35:02,910
with £130 of explosives
in his car.
722
00:35:02,934 --> 00:35:06,289
His plan? To detonate
a suitcase bomb at LAX
723
00:35:06,313 --> 00:35:08,374
on New Year's Day 2000.
724
00:35:08,398 --> 00:35:11,669
Despite his arrest, U.S.
authorities are forced to wonder
725
00:35:11,693 --> 00:35:14,714
how many more terrorists
are still out there.
726
00:35:14,738 --> 00:35:17,008
{\an8}♪♪
727
00:35:17,032 --> 00:35:20,803
The last day of 1999
finally arrives.
728
00:35:20,827 --> 00:35:22,805
{\an8}♪♪
729
00:35:22,829 --> 00:35:25,141
At 8 a.m. in Washington DC.,
730
00:35:25,165 --> 00:35:27,059
Auckland, New Zealand
will be the first city
731
00:35:27,083 --> 00:35:28,894
to meet the year 2000.
732
00:35:28,918 --> 00:35:30,938
John Koskinen
is anxiously watching
733
00:35:30,962 --> 00:35:35,901
from the Y2K command post
two blocks from the White House.
734
00:35:35,925 --> 00:35:37,737
-We've got a control center,
and then we have
735
00:35:37,761 --> 00:35:39,363
a couple
of hundred workstations.
736
00:35:39,387 --> 00:35:40,656
We got Mexico and Canada.
737
00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:42,074
We've got
all the federal agencies,
738
00:35:42,098 --> 00:35:43,492
some industry groups.
739
00:35:43,516 --> 00:35:46,329
-7... 6... 5...
740
00:35:46,353 --> 00:35:49,457
4... 3... 2...
741
00:35:49,481 --> 00:35:50,750
1!
742
00:35:50,774 --> 00:35:52,835
[ Fireworks explode,
crowd cheers ]
743
00:35:52,859 --> 00:35:56,005
-And so as we started monitoring
New Zealand,
744
00:35:56,029 --> 00:35:57,548
we're watching the world turn,
745
00:35:57,572 --> 00:36:00,092
and you can see these
celebrations,
746
00:36:00,116 --> 00:36:03,554
and nobody is, you know, dying
or nothing's blowing up.
747
00:36:03,578 --> 00:36:07,892
-While we are encouraged by
the positive reports thus far,
748
00:36:07,916 --> 00:36:09,435
we should all remember
749
00:36:09,459 --> 00:36:12,855
that we have many miles
to go before we sleep.
750
00:36:12,879 --> 00:36:15,149
-With half the world
still in 1999,
751
00:36:15,173 --> 00:36:17,109
Koskinen has devised
a special way
752
00:36:17,133 --> 00:36:21,614
to demonstrate his confidence
in America's Y2K preparations.
753
00:36:21,638 --> 00:36:23,574
{\an8}♪♪
754
00:36:23,598 --> 00:36:24,867
-People were saying,
"Hey, you know,
755
00:36:24,891 --> 00:36:26,994
planes are going
to drop out of the sky."
756
00:36:27,018 --> 00:36:30,081
-So at 6:30 p.m., Koskinen
boards a commuter flight
757
00:36:30,105 --> 00:36:33,334
from Washington to New York,
so he can be in the air
758
00:36:33,358 --> 00:36:35,169
for London's New Year's
celebration
759
00:36:35,193 --> 00:36:37,254
at midnight Greenwich Mean Time.
760
00:36:37,278 --> 00:36:40,299
-I needed to demonstrate, if
we were confident at 7:00,
761
00:36:40,323 --> 00:36:42,134
we were going to be okay.
762
00:36:42,158 --> 00:36:50,158
{\an8}♪♪
763
00:36:50,500 --> 00:36:52,228
While Mark Pitcavage
is attending
764
00:36:52,252 --> 00:36:54,855
a New Year's House party,
765
00:36:54,879 --> 00:36:57,733
he's also on standby
for ABC News
766
00:36:57,757 --> 00:37:02,696
so he can respond in case
there's a terrorist attack.
767
00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:03,989
-And I said, "You know, look,
768
00:37:04,013 --> 00:37:05,991
if all the computers
do collapse,
769
00:37:06,015 --> 00:37:08,577
I'm not sure you're really going
to be able to air your program.
770
00:37:08,601 --> 00:37:11,956
But if something happens
and extremists do something,
771
00:37:11,980 --> 00:37:13,582
I'm going to be
at a friend's house
772
00:37:13,606 --> 00:37:18,003
celebrating New Year's Eve.
Here's their number."
773
00:37:18,027 --> 00:37:20,089
-So I'm on the plane.
Virtually and nobody's flying...
774
00:37:20,113 --> 00:37:23,843
13 people, and four or five
of whom are reporters.
775
00:37:23,867 --> 00:37:26,137
And a young reporter
from The New York Times
776
00:37:26,161 --> 00:37:28,806
says, "The guy in the tux
in the first row
777
00:37:28,830 --> 00:37:30,975
is now very nervous
because he didn't realize
778
00:37:30,999 --> 00:37:37,148
he was flying to New York during
the transition period of Y2K."
779
00:37:37,172 --> 00:37:40,776
-When the new millennium arrives
in London without incident,
780
00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:44,155
it marks another Y2K milestone,
781
00:37:44,179 --> 00:37:47,616
but America still awaits
its arrival.
782
00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:49,285
Not even the hosts of late night
783
00:37:49,309 --> 00:37:51,704
are joking about
the potential dangers.
784
00:37:51,728 --> 00:37:53,622
-This terrorism thing
is kind of frightening.
785
00:37:53,646 --> 00:37:55,708
- And no one knows.
- Right.
786
00:37:55,732 --> 00:37:58,210
-Well, one of them is.
787
00:37:58,234 --> 00:38:02,506
-Top ten effects of Y2K,
here we go.
788
00:38:02,530 --> 00:38:04,216
Number 10...
789
00:38:04,240 --> 00:38:06,552
-Stuff's gonna 'splode.
790
00:38:06,576 --> 00:38:09,221
{\an8}♪♪
791
00:38:09,245 --> 00:38:12,767
-With the millennium just
seconds away, the countdown
792
00:38:12,791 --> 00:38:14,560
in Times Square begins.
793
00:38:14,584 --> 00:38:16,020
-Are you ready?
794
00:38:16,044 --> 00:38:17,396
-Of course,
everybody's counting off.
795
00:38:17,420 --> 00:38:18,981
You know, it's not often
you get to count...
796
00:38:19,005 --> 00:38:20,983
Count down to a new millennium,
right?
797
00:38:21,007 --> 00:38:25,112
-In 10, 9, 8, 7...
798
00:38:25,136 --> 00:38:27,698
{\an8}-There were all of these
predictions of doom and gloom.
799
00:38:27,722 --> 00:38:31,827
{\an8}-5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
800
00:38:31,851 --> 00:38:33,078
-And what happened?
801
00:38:33,102 --> 00:38:36,105
-Happy 2000!
802
00:38:40,485 --> 00:38:41,921
-What a sight
in New York City...
803
00:38:41,945 --> 00:38:45,799
Ringing in the new millennium
on Times Square.
804
00:38:45,823 --> 00:38:48,636
-After years of anticipation
and anxiety,
805
00:38:48,660 --> 00:38:51,597
Y2K has arrived in America.
806
00:38:51,621 --> 00:38:54,099
-It was 12:01 a.m.,
807
00:38:54,123 --> 00:38:56,644
and the ball had dropped
in New York
808
00:38:56,668 --> 00:38:58,437
and all the TVs were still on
809
00:38:58,461 --> 00:39:01,106
and people were checking
their microwave ovens.
810
00:39:01,130 --> 00:39:03,067
They're checking their phones.
All the phones work.
811
00:39:03,091 --> 00:39:08,405
You know, by and large,
everything worked.
812
00:39:08,429 --> 00:39:11,992
-Sure enough,
there were no viruses.
813
00:39:12,016 --> 00:39:14,453
No planes fell out of the sky.
814
00:39:14,477 --> 00:39:17,206
Elevators didn't plummet
to the ground.
815
00:39:17,230 --> 00:39:19,750
-It was nothing
but just a big yawner.
816
00:39:19,774 --> 00:39:21,627
-No major problems to report,
817
00:39:21,651 --> 00:39:23,921
not only in the United States,
but in fact,
818
00:39:23,945 --> 00:39:25,589
throughout the world.
819
00:39:25,613 --> 00:39:28,300
-Now, the reality is that
there were tens of thousands
820
00:39:28,324 --> 00:39:30,052
of Y2K problems,
but the thing is,
821
00:39:30,076 --> 00:39:31,637
you didn't hear about them.
822
00:39:31,661 --> 00:39:34,431
-It's true. Behind the scenes
in Washington,
823
00:39:34,455 --> 00:39:37,434
Koskinen's been
putting out fires all night.
824
00:39:37,458 --> 00:39:41,480
-The Japanese reported that
the computer safety systems
825
00:39:41,504 --> 00:39:46,026
monitoring their nuclear plants
wasn't functioning well.
826
00:39:46,050 --> 00:39:49,029
The Department of Transportation
is saying the low-level
827
00:39:49,053 --> 00:39:50,948
wind shear detectors
at all the airports
828
00:39:50,972 --> 00:39:52,700
in the United States failed.
829
00:39:52,724 --> 00:39:54,285
And I sent them
a note back saying,
830
00:39:54,309 --> 00:39:55,786
"Well, you're kidding, right?"
And he said no.
831
00:39:55,810 --> 00:39:57,830
[ Clears throat ]
"When you landed at LaGuardia,
832
00:39:57,854 --> 00:39:59,999
there were no low-level
wind shear detectors
833
00:40:00,023 --> 00:40:04,003
and the defense intelligence
satellite system has gone down."
834
00:40:04,027 --> 00:40:05,879
So I had a conference
with the Defense Department,
835
00:40:05,903 --> 00:40:08,924
the State Department,
and the CIA,
836
00:40:08,948 --> 00:40:10,843
and sure enough, it went well.
837
00:40:10,867 --> 00:40:14,972
There were things that didn't
work, but nothing systemic.
838
00:40:14,996 --> 00:40:17,558
-One bomb does go off,
but it's in Russia...
839
00:40:17,582 --> 00:40:21,437
When President Boris Yeltsin
announces he's stepping down,
840
00:40:21,461 --> 00:40:23,188
the Vladimir Putin era begins
841
00:40:23,212 --> 00:40:26,066
in the midst
of millennium celebrations.
842
00:40:26,090 --> 00:40:29,820
{\an8}-[ Speaking in Russian ]
843
00:40:29,844 --> 00:40:32,281
{\an8}♪♪
844
00:40:32,305 --> 00:40:34,074
-Koskinen has been working
two years
845
00:40:34,098 --> 00:40:37,077
to prevent a catastrophe
in the U.S.,
846
00:40:37,101 --> 00:40:40,372
but as they say,
no good deed goes unpunished.
847
00:40:40,396 --> 00:40:44,084
-Only took about 6 hours
before the media began
848
00:40:44,108 --> 00:40:46,045
to be full of stories saying,
849
00:40:46,069 --> 00:40:48,380
"Well, that was a hoax.
What a waste of money."
850
00:40:48,404 --> 00:40:51,300
-Things couldn't be going
more smoothly... so smoothly,
851
00:40:51,324 --> 00:40:54,094
some are even asking if all that
preparing was necessary.
852
00:40:54,118 --> 00:40:58,098
-So at midnight, I took
a big cake up to the reporters,
853
00:40:58,122 --> 00:41:01,018
and Sam Donaldson of ABC
was there and he said,
854
00:41:01,042 --> 00:41:03,270
"Well, this is all
a big waste of time."
855
00:41:03,294 --> 00:41:04,688
And I told him, I said, "Sam,
856
00:41:04,712 --> 00:41:06,482
you all don't care
because nobody died."
857
00:41:06,506 --> 00:41:08,233
I said, "If there's not blood
in the street,
858
00:41:08,257 --> 00:41:10,653
you think it's not a problem."
859
00:41:10,677 --> 00:41:13,906
-The public backlash
against the two faces of Y2K
860
00:41:13,930 --> 00:41:15,366
is harsh and immediate.
861
00:41:15,390 --> 00:41:17,368
-So the guy who wrote
the Paul Revere story...
862
00:41:17,392 --> 00:41:20,954
I would have loved
to have seen him having coffee
863
00:41:20,978 --> 00:41:23,082
the next morning and, you know,
864
00:41:23,106 --> 00:41:27,920
like everything's okay.
Like, how do you live with that?
865
00:41:27,944 --> 00:41:30,214
-Peter struggled as a result
of having been
866
00:41:30,238 --> 00:41:34,134
so visibly associated with Y2K,
867
00:41:34,158 --> 00:41:36,845
which was a great shame,
because he did a wonderful job
868
00:41:36,869 --> 00:41:39,223
and was very responsible
about it.
869
00:41:39,247 --> 00:41:41,433
-The year 2000 was difficult.
870
00:41:41,457 --> 00:41:43,852
I'm bipolar, okay?
871
00:41:43,876 --> 00:41:48,774
And basically, I was in
a one-decade-long manic stage.
872
00:41:48,798 --> 00:41:50,317
And then when I came down,
873
00:41:50,341 --> 00:41:53,904
I stopped doing
media interviews at all.
874
00:41:53,928 --> 00:41:56,490
We received death threats.
875
00:41:56,514 --> 00:41:58,534
People were upset.
876
00:41:58,558 --> 00:42:02,454
The reality is,
Y2K was an issue.
877
00:42:02,478 --> 00:42:03,997
We know it was an issue
because we went
878
00:42:04,021 --> 00:42:06,583
and tested, systems failed,
879
00:42:06,607 --> 00:42:10,921
and rather than have them fail,
we spent money to fix them.
880
00:42:10,945 --> 00:42:12,798
-Those Y2K fixes cost
881
00:42:12,822 --> 00:42:16,343
an estimated
$400 billion worldwide.
882
00:42:16,367 --> 00:42:20,264
{\an8}♪♪
883
00:42:20,288 --> 00:42:23,517
-It was the first time
the world came together
884
00:42:23,541 --> 00:42:25,269
on a single project.
885
00:42:25,293 --> 00:42:28,981
If John Koskinen had had not
been appointed to that position,
886
00:42:29,005 --> 00:42:31,692
I do not believe
the US government would have
887
00:42:31,716 --> 00:42:34,236
gotten its act together in time.
888
00:42:34,260 --> 00:42:36,613
-Couple of months later,
I'm renting a car
889
00:42:36,637 --> 00:42:39,199
from a local company
in Raleigh Durham Airport,
890
00:42:39,223 --> 00:42:42,619
and I get charged $10
for underage driver.
891
00:42:42,643 --> 00:42:44,079
And I said, "What's that?"
892
00:42:44,103 --> 00:42:45,998
And the guy said,
"Oh, that's our Y2K problem.
893
00:42:46,022 --> 00:42:50,669
It keeps thinking
you were born in 1839 or 1939
894
00:42:50,693 --> 00:42:54,131
and it's now 1900 and you're
actually -39 years old."
895
00:42:54,155 --> 00:42:58,218
And I said, "Where were you guys
when I needed you?"
896
00:42:58,242 --> 00:43:01,472
-Surprisingly,
over the last year or two,
897
00:43:01,496 --> 00:43:06,226
there's a growing realization
that we did dodged a bullet,
898
00:43:06,250 --> 00:43:11,482
and I think that has been
exacerbated by COVID.
899
00:43:11,506 --> 00:43:16,028
If we ran Y2K like
we were running COVID,
900
00:43:16,052 --> 00:43:18,363
we would have failed.
901
00:43:18,387 --> 00:43:20,449
Y2K had a single message.
902
00:43:20,473 --> 00:43:21,992
-In allegiance
to the Constitution
903
00:43:22,016 --> 00:43:23,285
of the United States...
904
00:43:23,309 --> 00:43:25,829
-If Y2K happened today,
905
00:43:25,853 --> 00:43:28,457
you would have everybody
cherry-picking
906
00:43:28,481 --> 00:43:32,169
and getting their information
from their own sources.
907
00:43:32,193 --> 00:43:35,380
It's not that misinformation
is new.
908
00:43:35,404 --> 00:43:39,009
It's that it wasn't as easy
and it wasn't as prevalent.
909
00:43:39,033 --> 00:43:43,680
{\an8}♪♪
910
00:43:43,704 --> 00:43:46,642
{\an8}We truly were
that '90s generation.
911
00:43:46,666 --> 00:43:50,062
{\an8}We were the last ones
that really kind of remember
912
00:43:50,086 --> 00:43:53,607
{\an8}growing up without technology.
913
00:43:53,631 --> 00:43:56,360
{\an8}From a historic lens,
it's a seismic shift.
914
00:43:56,384 --> 00:43:58,070
{\an8}And I think in 100 years,
they'll be talking
915
00:43:58,094 --> 00:44:01,657
{\an8}about the '90s as the era
where everything went,
916
00:44:01,681 --> 00:44:07,621
{\an8}you know, digital and became
this whole technological world
917
00:44:07,645 --> 00:44:09,814
{\an8}Kind of crazy.