Predictions

Everyone lies and everyone makes mistakes.

 (I don’t actually believe this, but using it as a fixed rule on human behavior has never failed me.)

In truth, I believe that there are adults running things, and everyone tells me the truth when asked. I don’t seem to be capable of growing out of this  -- I get fooled all the time, just wading through layers of trust until, astonished, I find myself knee deep on the shores of a gigantic land’o’ lies.

I try not to lie – for important things, it always backfires and I end up getting much more than I got out of it. I practice the old fashioned methods – the classics – of minimize, distract, ignore and deny. Mostly, I just try not to say anything. I very rarely do a ‘big’ lie and expect to get away with it.

I am amazed that other people lie on scales I can’t imagine. Banks saying they have enough money when they don’t, politicians saying they will fix things they know they won’t, people saying they will when they couldn’t possibly. Dumfounded, unprepared and disconnected, I find myself staring into space and without thought every time I’m blindsided. It’s a pattern.

Always, looking back, the signs were there, like termites on a banister that I knew by the softness of the wood – wood I didn’t want to poke. I am too tentative and lacking in the boldness of the blind. So here are my predictions.

1. World war by 2012 – every nation will have a side. (2017 -- nope)
2. U.S population will decrease by at least a third by 2013. (2017 -- Nope)
3. Recession will be called a depression by 2010. Unemployment 15% by 2010. (2017 Yes)
4. Old people will be the new poor and it won’t get better. Dog food the soylent green for older people. (2017, nope, but soon maybe)
5. The economy won’t be allowed to deflate – too much money will be in circulation and will have all the problems associated with that – inflation, et.al. (2017 True)
6. Health care will be outsourced starting in 2010. This will cause a deepening of the depression. (2017 -- yes, no)
7. Ford will be the only ‘American” car maker. G.M. will sell out to China and close all its operations in the U.S. (2017 -- No)
8. Obama will not survive his Presidency – Biden will have oodles of goodwill, but will not be able to stop world events. (2017 -- no)
9. Republicans will win the Presidency in 2012 and do just exactly what you think they will do. (2017 no)
10. Another major bombing will happen in American in 2010. All pretence of due process will vanish. (2017, no)
11. Public unrest will lead to political prisoners held in prisons. Most Americans will applaud the government for putting the malcontents away. (2017 -- no)
12. There will be an alien sedition act by 2011. (2017, sort of)
13. China will control over 80% of the resources coming out of Africa. It will politically dominate all of the East African nations as well. (2017 -- no, but really hard to say)
14. The war in 2012 will be caused by scarce resources -- primarily oil, but the spark will not come from the middle east (or Iran.) 9@017 -- no)

2017 ed. -- I was wrong 11 out of 14, and only a little right on the three I'm taking credit for. So not listen to me, I'm wrong a lot.