Newton's Cat

Was it an experiment to see how many people could be convinced of something that wasn't true - most of whom previously gave no thought to the possibility that the opposite of the truth was really true?

Or did it just "begin to happen" and the Media jumped on the bandwagon and set about lying to us to encourage as many people as possible to think that the opposite of the truth was true?

23.30 31st January 1999

"Brrr ... brrr ..." phone rings

"Yes," says Scotland Yard (London Police Headquarters) Information Officer.

"Is it the Millennium tomorrow? says a voice (me).

"No," says the Scotland Yard Information Officer.

"When is the Millennium?"

"January 1st 2001 ..... (pause) ... but 99% of the people believe its tomorrow. Its best to go along with it."

2nd January 2000

I stand with a board, in the centre of Hampstead, London, which reads "We Are Still In The 20th Century" .... the Media are telling everybody that the 21st Century has begun.

I ask people, passers by, if they agree ... almost all of them don't speak. Only one person agreed.

I email about a third of the British MPs (those that had email addresses) asking the question:

"What century are we in?"

I get one reply:

"What does your question mean?"

The whole bleedin' populace .. with a few exceptions ... thought the 21st century had begun.

What was the "Millennium" like where you were?

A huge, mass brainwashing went on.

Was it an organised exercise in mind-control, or what?

kas

I'd say, "or what".

David B

Yeah, me too. I'd put it down in particular to 2000 being a nice round number.

Anyway, millenium of what? Not the birth of the Biblical Christ, since Herod died in, if I recall correctly, 4 BC.

David B (Is more than a bit of a pedant, but tries not to take it to extremes)

tommyc

It's a meaningless figure anyway, like David said.

Who cares what century it is? It's like talking about the fashion or music of the 60s or 70s as if people suddenly act differently because some arbitrary landmark in the calendar has passed.

Major Billy

The current Millennium began January 1st 2000. The 1st Millennium began on 1 BC (rather than 0 BC).

Schneibster

Yep, ain't no "year zero." There's 1 AD, and 1 BC, and nothing in between.

Barbarian

Does not compute. I agree there was no year 0. But then the first century is composed of the first 100 years, 1 to 100 inclusive, starts at January 1st, 1. Therefore the second century, composed of the second 100 years, lasts from 101 to 200 (again inclusive) and starts at January 1st, 101. Continuing this sequence, the XXI century - and therefore the third millenium - starts at January 1st, 2001, not 2000, as you said.
A letter was electronically circulated during 1999 in Hungary, claiming the authorship of some obscure fellow from a smaller university, which started with something like "Few people know that there was a year 0 between 1 B.C. and 1 C.E. ..." etc. therefore January 1st, 2000 is really the first day of the new millennium. Many people fell for it. Now that was at least an experiment, if not an outright exercise in mind control. An introduction like "Few people know that ..." makes many people feel like belonging to the privileged few who really know, and therefore will swallow whatever bullshit follows this start of sentence.

dancer_rnb

Or maybe it was an honest mistake......or a practical joke?

Nialler

Shit. It makes no difference at all.

A new millennium started just this second. Ooops.another one just started while I was typing.

I guess it only makes a difference if you believe that there's some major religious significance to a millennium.

For me, all numbers are the same. they all have their own beauty. I'm very PC when it comes to numbers, me.

Newton's Cat

November 1998: 70%+ of people polled said that the Millennium date is 1st January 2001 -- and that they did not intend to celebrate anything special on 1st January 2000

March 1999: Just over 50% said that the Millennium date is 1st January 2001

The British Media began a deliberate campaign of lying in March 1999 - repeatedly telling people in the newspapers and on TV that the Millennium date was 1st January 2000.

January 1st 1901: All newspapers throughout the world declare that the 20th Century has begun. The Commonwealth of Australia came into existence on this date.

The evidence from the Media shows that the 20th Century began on 1st January 1901 and ended on 1st January 2000 - only 99 years.

The big question is: Why aren't people laughing their heads off at this stupidity? The answer is, maybe, because a "malevolent", lying, authoritative religious mentality has gained power over us?