What do you see as the future of the United States?

[reprobate]

I've got to admit that I'm a pessimist in the short run.

I see the environment being totally trashed by the religious right now in power to the point that global climate change is almost assured in our lifetime.

I see the political system that got us thru more than two centuries is now in the past, replaced by a fascist regime that owns not only all branches of government, but also controls the State Media, so no one hears the truth anymore. Change is impossible when the truth is unavailable, and they know that.

I see the government, federal, many state, and quite a few locals, being taken over by a religious death cult, intent on leading us into a world catastrophe so that their vision of 'rapture' is guaranteed. The inmates have taken over the asylum.

I see militarism now on my satelite feed, and the science oriented channels are showing bible stories. Our education system is being destroyed under the guise of 'improvement', while one of the Bush brothers is making billions from the FCAT program that results in the students being taught the test, neglecting entire subjects.

I see a nation that has glorified militarism to the point that it's no longer 'unjust' to invade other nations just on the idea that we are 'allowing liberty to spread'.

I see a nation that is economically being dismantled piece by piece. Our currency is falling toward worthless in the world. We owe everyone for everything, to the point that reaching any balance is now impossible. Everyone now owns us.

I keep having the vision that our 'Great Uniter' has united the world against us and it won't be long before they take some really effective steps to reign us in. And I don't think that will be at all pleasant for us.

But I'm a registered cynic so don't take my word for anything. Tell me what yo see for our future.

Is there hope for us?

What will the world look like a decade from now.

Will it be a place any of us want to live?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. I'm usually a more optimistic person, but I see your view of the

future as well unless something drastic happens..and I don't know what that would be.

[devilgrrl]

6. same here...

:-(

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Peak oil. Bad leadership.

[EVDebs]

3. Louis Brandeis' quote about wealth and democracy shows us

exactly where we're headed. "We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both. ... "

"PERILS OF THE GROWING WEALTH GAP IN THE U.S." written in 1999 btw.
http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/1917-cn.htm

[queeg]

4. Buddy that aint gonna happen

Mainly because we will raise an army and destroy any such tyrany before it seeps into the last crack. I for one am willing to fight for the constitution and freedom.

[satya]

13. Your weapon stash is no match for their nukes. Sorry. nt

[mattclearing]

5. I have a feeling not much will change.

There are always doomsayers. Ultimately, I think little will change. I think this administration is the modern-day equivalent of Nixon...obviously worse, but no more worse than anything else is worse than it was then.

American society keeps finding ways to top itself. We thought the cold war was bad, but now we have a war against an invisible enemy. Reality tv used to be quiz shows, now it's eating maggots. Political music used to involve acoustic guitars, now it's beats and guns.

Ultimately, we will continue to watch in horror as people continue to try to scare the living shit out of us, and be constantly surprised when little major day-to-day change actually transpires.

Our currency will continue to devalue. We will continue to produce little of any value. Our debt will continue to pile up.

Eventually, we will accept that we are no longer a superpower. We will probably knock off a few muslim governments.

We'll probably have a few more terrorist attacks. We will reconsider ourselves for five minutes or so, accordingly.

But major change? I doubt it.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

8. No longer being a superpower is a MAJOR change!

Remember that!

[mattclearing]

11. You believe we're one now? n/t

[Name removed]

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[AP]

7. Banana republic. No middle class. Bread (McDonalds) and Circuses (ESPN).

[baba]

9. It isn't looking good. n/t

[Minstrel Boy]

10. something like this:

[New Earth]

12. no kidding

you can be sure of that within the next 30 years at least i would say, if not sooner.

[Tace]

14. We'll Militarize And Dominate Space

The entire globe will be governed by World Inc. All corporations will be subsidiaries of World Inc. Sovereign states and the facade of Democracy will be useful to World Inc. for the control of the populace. Five-percent of the populace will control 95% of the world's resources.

[fedsron2us]

21. No change then

[Stop_the_War]

15. I shudder to think what Bush might do in four years..n/t

[shadowknows69]

16. I think you're an optimist compared to me

some of my visions don't even include mine or my family's survival. I think terrible global war will be our legacy.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. Continued expansionism, followed by economic collapse.

We're already spread too thin trying to keep the colonies in line. As time goes by the third world will turn to the emerging giants of China and India to lead.

Our government will try to keep things together by the use of brute force which will bankrupt us. Then, eventual fragmentation into smaller states.

Hopefully, the process won't be too bloody, but history shows that most empires fall apart very messily.

[Old Mouse]

18. Things are not as rosy as you predict

Our socio-economic system is much more complex and out of control then economists would admit. The hoarding policies of the major owners of capital, increased to unsustainable levels under the current administration, will create international chaos, not the planned protection for the elite.

Growing environmental distress will disrupt shipping and travel, plunging the world into a 17th century level of distribution of goods and services. Although our species is physically designed for quick adaptation to new environments, the retooling of society and industry this necessitates is dependent on a surrender the worship of self that has become the foundation of our culture. The majority of American employment is middle management, which will become unnecessary as we change to a survivalist reality. The vast, overwhelming majority of our society have no valuable skills or abilities to contribute to this new reality.

The environmental distress, already increasing at a pace greater than our scientific ability to monitor, will force international alliances to retard the high pollution nations by any and all means. Unfortunately, the motivation to keep polluting will be huge, as whichever country maintains it's industrial output the longest will be in a superior position if and when there is recovery. This indicates the danger of multiple high tech micro-conflicts, which will also further the worsening environmental, social and political situation.

The question is, has the environmental change already passed the point of no return, and if not, can the people of the United States see beyond our collective narcissism in time to self-educate and effect change.

[Us vs Them]

19. I see a peak of spending and consumption

This will escalate steadily for at least four more years as people continue to buy Hummers plastered with Support Our Troops stickers. Those who think they are in power - the ones blindly following mainstream media, attending church in their gated communities, will not be aware of the growing dissonance outside of their protected lives. The great Democratic movement will continue to gain force under the leadership of Howard Dean, and will continue to be ignored by the MSM, as they are presently. Then, at a moment's notice, we will all strike on cue and overthrow the government so we can live in a communist utopia. ... I hope?

[fedsron2us]

20. A smoking pile of radioactive rubble

just like the rest of the world.

[LibertyorDeath]

22. Well if History is any guide I see Wars lots of Wars over

ever dwindling resources.

[earth mom]

23. I see both sides

Pessimistically I see Wars, Chaos, Depression, Poverty and a Severe Environmental Crisis.

Optimistically I see the * installation impeached and jailed, the M$M exposed and taken down, Kerry as president and the whole world heaving a big sigh of relief as the good people of this country work to cure the many evil and momentous wounds * has inflicted on the people of this country and the world.

[WetBarNone]

24. I see none of these in the next decade

And I'm very negative. Good will prevail but some bad may destroy much good in their failure to destroy it all.

[xpat]

26. If we are lucky,

our friends and enemies will bring our crazed government to heel:

http://www.thinkingpeace.com/pages/arts2/arts359.html

[Stirk]

27. I think we'll be liberated by economic collapse.

In the long run, I mean. As the US declines as a world power, it will come out of it's imperialist posture. We won't be assailed by non-stop fear campaigns, as we have been for at least the last 60 years. We won't send nearly as many Americans off to kill and be killed, because there won't be an empire to fight for.