Let's do another PREDICTION thread!

[PinkTiger]

I'll start.
I predict:

The GOP will lose a lot of ground in November, and although it won't be a complete sweep, Democrats will gain the house by a narrow margin. The tide of public opinion has turned against Bush and his buddies, at last. I don't have to predict that, though; it has already happened. Public opinion is peculiar, and has a life and momentum of its own. Mostly, it is negative - whenever it can be against someone, it moves with great speed and with its own strength.
Al Gore is enjoying his current celebrity status and is considering, briefly, with a re-match. He will think better of it and decide not to run. He will make this announcement very soon.
The Bush Cabal has been very good at keeping the major damage being done to high level persons out of the media; most people don't even know about the stuff that has gone down (sorry if I sound vaguely flip tonight; I'm tired.), but several people are in serious legal trouble. Rove, for example, will be indicted for something - not sure what - and there are at least a dozen others who will be in hot legal fires by the end of the year. Many will resign.
Bush needs to take care of his health, also; I predict he will be feeling rather down in November/December.

OK - how about some other predictions, people! ????

[lavenderdiva]

1. Do you see a Dem win in 2008?

Thank you for sharing your insights, PinkTiger- I always find it fascinating.

[PinkTiger]

2. Thanks!

I don't know about 2008 yet. There is a veil of sadness around the white house in my visions; I don't understand it yet, but it is there. And I'm having a lot of 1960s feelings.

[BlueIris]

3. ...egh.

Post what you feel it is responsible to post, Pink, but I...egh...(gurgles incoherently).

[Grateful for Hope]

19. Perhaps what you feel

is that the person who is elected in 2008 will die in office? I have thought this is a possibility (have read some predictions along these lines), but, even if that happens, there will be the VP to take over. I suspect that you feel that the 2008 winning candidate will be a democrat. I think this very strongly also.

[PinkTiger]

24. Yes.

That is exactly what I feel.
But it will be murder.

[SheilaT]

4. I predict

that the GOP will retain its hold on both House and Senate, and possibly pick up a few seats. Democratic leadership will be saddened, but will tell their supporters to support the President and the newly elected Congress.

There will be scattered reports of voter fraud or vote machine malfunctions on Election Day, but they will be dismissed as the ravings of a few crank Democrats. Months later, serious investigation will reveal that there was actually widespread voter fraud. Largely Democratic districts had so few machines that there were long lines to vote, and many voters simply gave up after hours of standing in line and never voted at all. Voters who complained that their vote for a Democrat was unaccountably switched to a vote for the Republican were basically ignored. The mainstream media simply didn't report this until weeks later.

And the unexpected Republican wins will be explained by pointing out that polling, especially exit polling, is notoriously unreliable. In the end, it will be seen that voters simply felt "safer" with a Republican Congress.

I wish I shared the optimism of some about our possible gains this fall, but I don't.

[robertarctor]

5. That theft would be too obvious

They won't be able to pull that off. Sorry. Too many people onto them. It would be too obvious a signal that this is a one-party dictatorship, and they don't have a strong enough foundation to sell that line of bullshit now, what with the war and the economy and other things.

[SheilaT]

6. They did it

in 2000. And in 2002. And in 2004.

Those thefts were supremely obvious then. It was an obvious signal of a one-party near-dictatorship, and I fail to see any significant changes since then. The war was an issue two years ago, and look what they pulled off. The economy has been in the toilet for Bush's entire six years, although they act as if certain markers -- corporate profits being up 72% -- vastly outweigh the fact that non-farm jobs have only increased 2.3% and family incomes are actually down .5% (These numbers were in last week's Time magazine, and I hope I'm quoting them correctly). We are possibly at the beginning of the bursting of the housing bubble. Significant numbers of college students leave school thousands of dollars in debt -- essentially the equivalent of a mortgage payment.

They lie and they lie and they lie, and somehow the truth never sinks in to enough people.

Democrats are simply not taking advantage of all of the huge mistakes the administration has made, in no small part because too many of them are complicit in those mistakes. Voting for the Patriot Act. Voting to go to war. If they deny Bush the legal right to continue to torture, maybe there's hope. But I don't see the kind of ground swell of outrage that ought to exist, the constant demand that Guantanamo be closed, that fair and open trials be held, that this administration come clean about its lies.

I hope I'm wrong. But I see the same kind of complacency that I saw in 2002 and 2004, the certainty that Democrats would gain back some power and where are we today?

[Why Syzygy]

9. I see them turning the a**hoes

on their ears. I still feel the complacency too. It is quite different from the 70's energy, when I came of political age. But even then NIXON was elected. We know what happened next. His dirty deals were exposed. If Democrats don't take one or both Houses, the real Republicans will, leaving out the neocons, which are the real evil. They have an open slot coming up in two years and do not DARE continue to back the current mis administration. The most unpopular President ever? Hey, politics 101. They will start running like wildfire.

I can't make any predictions because I see a number of ways this could work out (Libra moon). But common sense tells me that they will be jumping ship like the latest installment of lemmings.

[marions ghost]

11. Beg to differ--There's a big difference between today and O4

a) The war is a lost cause
b) The economy is listing like the Titanic
c) Terra Terra Terra ain't working
4) Oh yeah, and the election cesspool is overflowing

It isn't the same kind of complacency. It's dogged determination to get rid of them by the only means that we have--the vote. If that fails, then you will see more protest. We who were out in front of the issues have got to realize that it takes awhile for others to wake up. Also have to realize that it takes a strong resistance to victimization and a sense of hope to even protest against such a radical regime. Some are in shock and dismay. For people struggling to get through a day, worrying about detainees in Gitmo isn't exactly a priority.

[SheilaT]

13. There's not as much difference

as there should be.

a) The mainstream media continues to treat opposition to the war as a minority opinion.
b) The administration, along with the MSM talks about the economy as if it's booming.
c) Terra Terra Terra seems to influence far too many -- not us on DU, so much (although I've certainly seen way too many threads of the "I'm planning to fly somewhere next week and I'm scared" ilk)
d) The election cesspool may be overflowing, but we will STILL face the same situation we did in 2000, 2002, and 2004, namely long lines and insufficient machines or booths in largely Democratic areas, malfunctioning machines that switch votes from the D candidate to the R one and never the other way around, complaints of voters being turned away being ignored and on and on and on.

In 2004 there were endless reports of voters saying, I voted for Bush in 2000, but I'm not going to vote for him this year, and not a single report of the opposite (I voted for the Dem in 2000 but I'm voting for Bush this year). Surely there were some of those voters out there, but I certainly never noticed any reports of them. And what happened? We're supposed to believe that Bush legitimately won re-election.

It is too late to change from the Diebold machines to paper ballots.

Most people believe what the read in the National Inquirer or hear from O'Reilly or Limbaugh. Stop worrying about an October Surprise. Rove and his cronies are probably gleeful that Democrats across the country are fretting about that, rather than going out registering new voters, going door-to-door for Democratic candidates, giving money and helping raise money for those same Democrats.

Democrats should be pushing very hard about the core issues, the bread-and-butter issues that truly matter to most people. The fact that the minimum wage was last raised in 1997 is criminal. The fact that Osama is still out there demonstrates the incompetence of this administration.

I so much hope I'm wrong, but I honestly believe that we will wake up on November 8th to discover that the House and Senate are not merely still in Republican hands, but their numbers have actually increased.

[marions ghost]

15. NOT too late for paper ballots!

What's going on right now in Maryland is interesting. With only a few weeks before the election, the Republican governor is currently trying to ensure that those who want them WILL have the option for paper ballots in this election. ALL voters should request paper ballots if they feel uncomfortable with DREs.

The following is a letter Gov. Robert Erlich wrote on the subject this year. There ARE people in power trying to confront the election situation, despite the fact that millions were spent on the DREs.

-------------------------------
February 15, 2006

The following letter from Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich (pictured below at right) to Gilles Burger, Chairman Maryland State Board of Elections was released on February 15, 2006.

Dear Chairman Burger:

As you are aware, there has been widespread national concern about the reliability and security of electronic voting systems. Many states have decertified Diebold voting machines, including those similar to the ones used in Maryland, because certain components were never subjected to federal testing. In light of these recent national decertifications and the Maryland General Assembly’s decision to override my vetoes of bills implementing early voting and allowing voters to cast ballots anywhere in the state, I no longer have confidence in the State Board of Elections’ ability to conduct fair and accurate elections in 2006.

California, Pennsylvania, and dozens of local jurisdictions recently have decertified or denied certification to the Diebold voting machines pending further testing by federal authorities, citing, among other concerns, the potential for manipulation of election results due to the susceptibility to tampering of the vote-counting memory cards. In response, the Independent Testing Authority (ITA) has been reviewing Diebold voting systems and their electronic components for almost two months and has not released any findings. The State Administrator issued a letter to Diebold requesting daily status reports on the testing, but to my knowledge, no information has been shared with the State Board of Elections members, the Administration or the General Assembly about the implications for Maryland with regard to this testing.

It is imperative that I receive accurate information on the potential consequences that these test results may have on Maryland’s ability to conduct fair and accurate elections this year. In discussions with my staff, you have stated that members of the State Board of Elections have not received regular updates on the testing controversy. I believe that it is time for the Board to get aggressive in responding to citizens’ concerns over public confidence in the elections system.

I am also disheartened by the unresponsiveness of the State Administrator to the issue of voter verification. It is my personal belief that the voters of Maryland should be allowed to vote a paper ballot or have a voter verification paper-trail to electronic voting as reassurance to voters that their votes are being accurately cast. Therefore, I had requested that the Commission on the Administration of Elections chaired by George Beall, evaluate the potential for the introduction of this technology in Maryland. The Commission intended to rely on the report commissioned by the State Board of Elections and being compiled by Dr. Donald Norris of UMBC. That report was due to be completed in early December. I am sure that you share my disappointment that Dr. Norris’ report still has not yet been released and that the Beall Commission has been unable to complete its work.

I also continue to be troubled by the rapidly escalating costs of election administration in Maryland, especially in comparison to fiscal estimates that were prepared for the General Assembly. In 2001, Governor Glendening signed House Bill 1457 requiring the State Board of Elections to select and implement a uniform statewide voting system. At that time, the General Assembly’s fiscal note for House Bill 1457 estimated that the total cost would be $36,890,000. The actual cost, which has been financed by the State Treasurer was $65,564,674 – an almost 78 % increase from the original cost estimate. However, this misjudgment pales in comparison to the 1000% increase for estimates of the annual maintenance costs for this system. The 2001 fiscal note estimated such maintenance would be $858,000. For the upcoming fiscal year, the State Board of Elections requested $9,528,597 for these costs. The cost of Maryland’s Diebold voting machines has skyrocketed as our confidence in the system has plummeted.

In 2005, the State Board of Elections provided a fiscal estimate of $175,000 for the State costs associated with an early voting program, which will now be implemented because the General Assembly overrode my veto. Astonishingly, the State Administrator recently submitted a supplemental budget request that increases these statewide costs from $175,000 to $11.5 million. Ironically, the supplemental budget justification provided by the State Administrator focuses on the potential for voter fraud and strikingly echoes the findings of the Beall Commission and the concerns raised in the floor debate by those opposed to the legislation.

These repeated instances of inaccurate fiscal estimates damage the credibility of the State Board of Elections and makes an informed judgment by the General Assembly of the fiscal implications of electronic voting and early voting impossible. The State Board of Elections continues to pursue an electronic fix at a time when electronic technology for voter registration is untested in Maryland and could create more problems than it solves. I do not want to repeat the mistakes made in 2001 when Maryland adopted emerging technology without understanding fully the potential consequences of a new era of electronics in election administration.

At the least, we should re-evaluate our position as of February 2006 – just a mere seven months before the primary election. It is essential the State Board of Elections aggressively advocate its previously adopted position before the General Assembly that any early voting program be deferred until the 2008 election and that legislation be passed to enact this deferral.

I also direct the State Board of Elections provide me with a written report by February 28th that addresses each of the issues cited below:

Diebold Voting Systems

1. What specific electronic components are being tested by the ITA and how does it relate to the Diebold voting systems used in Maryland?
2. Have other jurisdictions decertified or failed to certify any version of the Diebold Optical Scan or Touch Screen (DRE) systems used in Maryland?
3. What does the Maryland Election Law statute provide regarding the certification of election systems? Under what circumstances does it require the State to decertify an elections system?
4. What is the State Board of Elections’ contingency plan if the current voting system is decertified, or otherwise found to be incapable of administering a 2006 election free of any charges of compromise?
5. Can new machines be successfully procured for use in the 2006 elections?
6. What are the likely mitigation steps necessary to ensure public confidence in our elections system?

Voter Verification Systems

1. When will the Voter Verification Study conducted by UMBC be available for review?
2. What is the State Board of Elections’ plan if the General Assembly requires the Board to purchase a voter verified paper audit trail or optical scan machines to replace the current system in time for the 2006 elections?
3. What voter verification system technologies are compatible with our current voting system?
4. Could we acquire and implement a statewide voter verification system for the 2006 elections?
5. What is the estimated cost to the State to acquire a voter verification system for the 2006 elections?
6. How do the costs of a statewide voter verification system compare to the costs of implementing a statewide optical scan system?

Early Voting (snip)

Signed Governor Robert Erlich
http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=933&Itemid=113

[Why Syzygy]

33. Did you see the GD posts

about how easy it is to mutliate those machines? It takes a screwdriver. And a malicious program, which there is no shortage of. But. People get sick of spam? They will wake up to this.

The most heartwrenching thing is that we only get about a 30% voter turn out. (someone correct me on those numbers)

Do you remember that when Saddam was "elected", voter turn out was about 100%?
Where is the evil empire? And how do we clean it up.

[Grateful for Hope]

22. My gut tells me

that, if this happens, this might be for the good of us all. This would, IMO, be the most crooked election in history, and perhaps the easiest to prove so.

It might be that we need one more quite obvious criminal act to wake America up. This one would have to be a "dandy", and this election theft would definitely meet that definition.

I believe that whatever happens in 11/06, it will not be a cause for depression. I feel very deeply that the tide is definitely swinging toward the American people.

[Why Syzygy]

32. You said it!

Yes. A criminal can commit crime after crime. But eventually will get busted. Played the odds. Eventually you lose.

If it takes a huge scene to make the point, then so be it. Expose'. Let them push the envelope to the point of discovery. If America is still asleep, there will be those of us who will not quit crying out in the night, "The British are coming". Paul Revere? We are not a weak stock. Our freedoms have been granted and paid for. iow, as a wise person once told me, don't let the bastards get you down. There is much work to be done. And we are up for it.

[Why Syzygy]

31. Osama is not out there.

He is long gone. If he ever existed. A boogy man.

In the 80's everyone could get all upset about the Alloh(?) Komeni. That guy is dead and guess he really didn't get us after all. The big spook of Iran.
What we have to fear most is right here in our own back yards.

Get this. Kinky is running for governor in Texas and has more poll numbers than our Democratic candidate. He outright admits that he didn't vote for bushboy in 2000, but did in 2004! Yeah. And the alt community here is going for him. Not only here, but I know progressives in New Yawk City who say, yeh Kinky. The difference, as told by Kinky, between 2000 an 04 was nowww he is Bush's friend. How great a reason is that to change political alliance? Sound familiar?

I don't know what to make of any of it. But I sure as hell don't want a Bush friend in my state house. Or any other.

Was this a rant? Thanks.

I grew up in the days, when as a school child, we had bomb drills. Duck and cover. The Commies were the bad guys. Different face, same dance. > yawn < Fool me once.
Like have these people every heard the parable of crying wolf? No ones gonna show up.

[Why Syzygy]

30. Not sure what the differ is .

because I agree with everything you said.

All I'm saying it that this is not the Titanic and with those who predict we are, I don't agree.
I won't give up. Rome was burned, but is there Rome today?

Of course the war is a lost cause. It was lost before it got started.

I never predict the method. Only the outcome.

Oh. So you're saying you don't feel the complacency?
I have a hook up to the right wing religious community. And they are not about to go protest.
Many of them are fed up to the hilt. But they would look like a dayum librul if they showed up to a protest. Or opened their mouth at the nice little lunch their consertive friends are having. And g-d forbid church? They would be stoned.

Liberals are probably reviled due to our williingness to open our mouths and speak Truth.
That's why so many of us are fed up with the Washington types, OUR Reps? No. Don't speak for me. That would include you saying something. I'm sick of it. But I will never give up on the foundations we have. All created equal.

Maybe the voting booth can solve it. Maybe not. Don't know if you caught the GD threads about how the machines are rigged. If they can do it, why can't we?

[Grateful for Hope]

21. Here in PA

I am witnessing a senate fight that has no signs of complacency. Bob Casey is hitting back at every one of Santorum's despicable ads - to the point that Santorum's camp has had to admit that some of their ads were dishonest.

I see a different spirit this election season.

I hope I am right.

[Grateful for Hope]

20. I agree with you. The public now knows too much n/t

[silverlib]

7. Okay, here's mine...

Democrats will win a majority in at least the House or the Senate. It will be the Republicans who scream foul on the electronic voting machines, accusing the Democrats of stealing some of the elections. Their battle against the machines will be much more effective than those previously launched. This could be seen as a good occurrence, although with this will come public doubts about the trustworthiness of the Democrats and cause some problems in the next election (the big one).

I don't necessarily feel the White House is in a gloomy period, but a fearful period. I do feel like they are planning strategies/events that will increase the public perceived dependence on them to keep them safe. With this administration, their fear is a very dangerous thing for America.

Thanks for starting this thread. It will be interesting to revisit it in a couple of months.

[BlueIris]

8. Alright, here are some of mine...

President Pinhead is more or less removed, probably right after Republicans have their Congressional majority wrenched out of their grubby little hands in the midterms...for either a) "health reasons," (not gonna post, sorry) or b) as the result of a mysterious, no-details-given resignation cum getaway to The Crawford Ranch. Never publicly heard from again.

2007 is the slow, frustrating, agonizing economic and foreign policy fall-out from the Bush nightmare, during which time the economic recession continues unabated, American troops must be yanked from Iraq fall-of-Saigon style, and tensions between Iraq, Iran, Israel, Lebannon and a spurned, confused Jordan simmer away. Other international crises that have gone unaddressed during the Bush years (Darfur especially) go from hellish to...hellisher. Mass death, famine, pain. I predict interesting developments on the foreign policy front, too--like Tony Blair getting booted, and Vladimir Putin's global influence continuing to grow.

2008 is...I'm not going to jinx it, sorry. I still have my good feeling about JK. Others here have had different feelings. More power to you. We shall see what we shall see.

I've been concerned for a while about another Katrina-like natural disaster here on U.S. soil. Some say another flood. I say a volcanic eruption. Some have said Washington state; others, my own beloved Oregon. I think the eruption may be closer to Montana (...I know, that makes basically no sense, but for some months now I've seen the graphic image of a smoking mountain top super-imposed over a map of Montana in my mind's eye, so I thought I'd post that impression again).

Like many, I'm also extremely concerned about the water supply.

Uh, good stuff...? I get really famous within the next two years. :-) Kidding. Sort of. Also--we may see some cataclysmic changes on the Supreme Court. Like, some justices resigning. Matthew's messages have mentioned this a couple of times and while to some that may sound about as crazy as it gets--those details of the MMs generated major "hits" with me. Couldn't tell you why.

[Why Syzygy]

10. your post reminds me

of another on this forum. 2007 = 9. That is completion. I actually place more faith in numerology than astrology. Nine . complete. It is finished. 2008 = 1. New start. New starts are not without their own difficulties. It is a babyhood and babies have problems too, you know. 2012 = 5 . Change. That change begins in 2008. 2007 will see the final chapter of what began in 1999. The forward march of this regime. It is almost over. The fallout is theirs to deal with.

[PinkTiger]

12. Montana is not unlikely

Everytime I go out there I get vibes that something is going to happen, soon, beneath the ground. The entire area of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho is riddled with scenes of prior devastation by volcano and eruption. Craters of the Moon in Idaho, plus the lava flows all over that state, for example. And Yellowstone in Wyoming. Also in Wyoming are huge underground gas reserves, in Hamilton Dome and Teapot Dome; and at Thermopolis, the hot springs there are some of the world's largest.
The mountains in those states were formed by upheaval. All of them are volcanic in origin. The Grand Tetons, etc.
So - you may be right. Although I'd bet Wyoming before Montana.

Glad I'm getting my mother out of there.

(She lives in Blackfoot and is coming back to live in Missouri.)

[BlueIris]

16. Oh, yeah, I'd get your Mom to MO, stat.

And good luck to all of you good people in my beloved Missouri, by the way. You and I have both posted about how we see good things happening there and I continue to have those feelings.

[marions ghost]

14. I'm getting the vibe

for changes and movement. How that plays out is uncertain. I see focused fire energy around the November elections-- eruptions, maybe even explosive revelations. That would go along with your prediction for "hot legal fires" PinkTiger...

I get images of very focused people--archers and torchbearer archetypes--lining up for battles. Not heroic leaders so much as multitudes of warriors. Time for action. I think we're going to see some shake-ups.

Il Chimpe is running on empty. He has a high capacity for stress but the pResidency is really o.v.e.r. for him. Dried up. He is hostile and fatalistic now. Blowing hot air. He will slink away when the smoke clears. His entourage will tell him he has done a heckuva job, and he will agree that he truly has done a heckuva job, considering all the obstacles he nobly faced.

Gore is secretive and cool about 08, not laying his cards out. The crystal ball is cloudy. I think there's about a 50-50 chance he'll go for it. He'll have to be pushed by a tsunami of support.
Though Gore is an Aries sun, I see a lot of water around him right now. He knows how to become 'like a mirror' now. Difficult lesson for an Aries.

I don't know what is predicted for these months ahead astrologically, but it feels like there's some Uranian elements around. Some surprises in store. It feels unstable. Not a time to trust anything but what is really solid. I get feelings of very bright light and transformation. After darkness for so long, some will emerge from the cave blinking and not be comfortable with it. They will run back inside. But others will be drawn to the source of the light.

[hvn_nbr_2]

17. If the Dems win the House and Senate...

or even just the House, the Pukes will see the end coming when Dems get subpoena power. They'll put tremendous pressure on Bush and Cheney to resign between election day and the day the new Congress comes in, so that Hastert would be Pres instead of potentially Pelosi. The deal-clincher will be promises of pardons for everyone involved, because they're already running scared even when they currently hold all the power. Of course, that would be the doom on any further political career for Hastert but he's getting old and will be well taken care of anyway.

[Sanity Claws]

18. Suggestion - post source of prediction

There are many great psychics, tarot readers, etc. on this board and I'm curious whether the people posting are drawing on those talents and if so, what the prediction source is. So please, I request you let us know whether your prediction is based on reading real tea leaves or metaphorical political tea leaves. ;)

[PinkTiger]

23. I beg your pardon? Tea leaves????

My predictions are MINE. No tea leaves.
I don't use a "method."
I can do Tarot, and I can do astrology,but that is not what I do.
I simply have feelings and vibes.
I can't make it happen.

[Sanity Claws]

26. Reference to tea leaves was a joke.

If you were offended, I'm sorry.
Is there a reason why "mine" is in caps? I assumed that the predictions you posted were yours, not someone else's.

[PinkTiger]

28. Relax. My reaction was also supposed to be comic.

I meant that I'm not channeling anything, and I'm not getting information from a source. Also, I'm not using a "method" of getting the info.
My predictions are totally empathic, and like most emotional responses, are not always on the mark.
I've learned from experience, though, to listen to my vibes.

If I don't, I always suffer.

[SheilaT]

25. My prediction is based

on a rational reading of events, past and current. I'm simply attempting to extrapolate from what's happened in the past. So maybe that's metaphorical tea leaves, but I do not claim any psychic abilities at all on my part.

I would like to see what some of our astrologers say.

[Cleita]

27. I keep getting vibes and images of Bush

leaving the White House on a gurney. I have had this impression for awhile. I don't know if he will come down ill like with a stroke or heart attack or if it will be a mental breakdown.

The White House will try to hide this for awhile but his absence from public appearances will start the tongues wagging and they will have to admit it. There will be an uproar when Dick Cheney tries to take over the office of the President and it won't happen. They will pretend that Bush is working while convalescing in Crawford and that he is very much in charge but it won't be true.

I believe that there are powerful people on our side working in secret to take back our country. There is a figure, a multi-billionaire who will be funding this operation, and who will start using the court system to take down these neo-cons one by one when the time is right. He has an army of investigators and lawyers who are filling files with the illegal doings and money laundering of those in high office with connections to the PNAC.

It should be interesting when it starts. We of course won't know about it for awhile because the media will be asleep at the wheel as usual, but when some of the journalists, who have been trailing this mal-administration get a whiff of this, they will be like bloodhounds getting the information out once the court proceedings begin.

It should be an interesting finish to this decade.

[divineorder]

29. Speaking of Bush

It is interesting that I find it hard to visualize a post-Presidency for him. Laura I can see more clearly than him. The Western White House will suffer the indignity of becoming the property of the Presidency as a whole, even though the climate is not all that favorable.

Huge cut and paste:

The Regreening of America
Will register to this site shortly. I have been an astrologer for nearly 30 years now, and interested in

predictions and mystical stuff for even longer. Sometimes I have strong intuitions (unfortunately negative

ones at times).

There has been a vision of sorts that has been nagging at me for some time. Whenever I think of the year

2050, I see America as a vast sea of green-"the world's forest", so to speak. Given the unprecedented forest

loss here, I find such a vision intriguing.

Time has allowed me to fill in some of this stuff. First of all, large tracts of abandoned towns are not going

to be resettled, but allowed to be reclaimed by forest and prairie. Secondly, there will be an explosion of

urban gardening like nobody's business. People will be growing crops and everything else on top of

rooftops, on patios, everywhere. One reason will be food self-sufficiency, another cooling effects of the

plants will be considered quite valuable in and of themselves. And Monsanto's arrogant attempt to rule

nature bill rebound into such an explosion of home-grown food that the world has not seen in centuries.

Also plants help against flooding and wind loss.

Several agribusinesses, depening on massive financial subsidies from the Government and stockholders

will fold, forcing an explosion in truck farming and long-distance exporting of goods from local farmers.
Back to top

They are dependent on the same heavily invested money as the rest of business in America now is, and

when it no longer produces a profit for stockholdersl, they will simply close.

Needless to say, this causes a scramble for additional sources. Coops, who have never played the stock

market, become quite prominent and numerous. Other ethnic groups like the Vietnamese and other groups

not to far from their farming roots begin taking over some of the abandoned land.

The remaining horrific feedlots, now abandoned begin to sprout and grow-triggering lush plant growth

over a wide area near the places.

This ties into another prediction I have made: the revival of handcrafts, canning, home sewing, and other

such arts. For a long time there has been a thrifting movement=but It has only gone in fits and starts. But

when old hippies with a sense of artistry start up again, it will take off. A lot of people will remember those

old crocheting and macrame lessons from the seventies, quilting will revive, and so will canning.

Still more: a person will be driving along the expressway, see something that looks like a McDonalds or a

strip mall, and will be startled that it's actually a private home. After the economic meltdown, businesses

that are simply too far out to sustain become people's homes as businesses scramble to unload now

useless commercial inventory. There is actually an excess of commercial property right now barely being

rented.

No flashes yet on Government structure, but I suspect deevolution will be a factor. State Governors will

take greater power due to the need to handle the immediate crisis, and several great ones rise to the

challenge. Indeed, one of the changes may well be that a Council of Governors becomes part of the Federal

Legislative Process somehow and can counter a President who is too arrogant for words. They may even

have a seat in Congress to represent their interests-an overall Senator and an overall Congressperson, or

they may designate one.

The Church: One surprising development will be home churches. With the internet making it possible to

get advanced theological knowledge, religious meetups will flourish. Many people used to this sort of

structure will take it a step further and simply study on their own, getting together in a coffee shop or home

to pray. Such a development will be seen as cheaper, less politicized, more casual and flexible. (You don't

have to dress up or come on Sunday).These orgs will just rent a facility for larger ritual purposes such as

weddings and funerals. Indeed, I suddenly see a whole host of churches and Cathedrals become

rent-a-churches, renting out available space to whatever group needs it for the day or week.

One reason that occurred to me was that it had to do with the cost of gasoline: many of these small towns

simply were too far out to support a commuter population anymore. Part of the regreening process was

people moving back in where they could at least walk to whatever work was available. Another part was

that these were towns that were part of agribusiness and devoid of workers and work, no longer could hold

on to residents. Flashes of where: some parts of Arkansas, North Texas, Wyoming,the Plains States (I

think will be depopulated except for a few Canadians and possibly Native American who will fill the

remaining area). The resulting downscaling of industrial agriculture will force it closer to town-many

suburbs will revert to farms-watch for McMansions becoming barns as few could without having several

generations live there, continue to afford doing so.

I also see solar panels, some several acres wide, also triggering much accelerated plant growth as well

around them.

Not that these areas will be totally uninhabited, like I said earlier. With self-generated electricity, some

water power, and alternative sources of petroleum, there will be homes among the greenery. Also, one way

to solve te homeless problem will be suggested once these areas clear out: homesteading. The Old

Homestead act will be revived and expanded to cover all that abandoned property.Homes will once again

be sold by banks and the Goverment for literally pennies in order to prevent gangs and other undesirables

from gaining a foothold in those areas.

One other reason I see emptying is that many small towns are already down to mostly elderly. Those who

have children or relatives in town will move in with them. Others will just die and leave their property to the

state to handle.

The return of the River...
The waterways become once again a great transportation hub. People float to work, to travel, wherever.

Sailors now have more work to do than ever before. And BTW, the green areas will become a tourist

attraction along the borders of it. People will come to camp and leave the area when done.

Needless to say, the regreening also means that we will have an unprecedented number of birds-but also

herds of abandoned livestock because agribusiness would rather save the bullets and the cost of getting

rid of them.

Another part of the regreening will be a belt that extends from Vermont and New Hampshire all the way to

Cleveland. Another forest, though not abandoned. People will get to see what the Green Mountain boys

saw in all its splendor. An Erie canal covered in greenery, a Love Canal that's now completely forest.
There will be towns and farms, but they will be absorbed in the green belt too.

Flashes of governmental reorgs: Some nearby states will practically police these areas because the states

that contain them can no longer support the local services. Picture Ohio policing West West Virginia, Utah

the Dakotas, Canada helps with Vermont and North New York. The few back to the land people there are

simply too few to support needed services anymore. Will Congress recognize these formal or informal

arrangements? Stay Tuned.

That talks about the ending of the American Dream, it was mentioned that Bush would leave in an "ark".

Could this be a life support system? America has never quite had a situation like this. Wilson in 1918 had a

stroke,but due to the help of his wife and a few loyal aides, was able to communicate with Congress some

of his wishes. Things were different back then though. Since there was no radio or television, few people

saw the President on a regular basis anyway, and still fewer could gauge the degree of physical

debilitation. Furthermore, a President could still live largely in seclusion except for executive work and local

affairs. These days, the disappearance of the President completely from the camera's view would trigger

widespread panic. Furthermore, there would be an interregnum that would also foster a lack of confidence

as well. Who declares Cheney Acting President? What if Bush never wakes up and can't? Does Laura pull

the plug or just run out the clock? Who decides this? Do people hedge their bets on things wondering if

they would be upheld later? What if there's a crisis and even Cheney isn't capable? Then what?


People, feeling that there's no way to get permission anyway, and feeling that the Executive Branch is

otherwise occupied, begin making their own deals and decisions. Others start making their own moves

regarding oil and diplomacy, feeling comfident that the United States would be strongly hamstrung.

And the effect on the stock market would be incalculable in terms of what confidence people would have in

the economy. With no central direction and govermental uncertainty, many governments will hedge their

bets financially or travel in a holding pattern until a clear leader emerges.

But in the scenario I described, it's not so simple. The 25th Amendment talks about "An Acting President"

that is declared upon incapacity to serve. But who declares that incapacity, and are their opinions binding?

And if there's a dispute? In any case, it becomes a Regency where decisions are made, but there is the aura

of uncertainty because the President could repudiate those decisions upon recovery. And who decides the

recovery?

Such uncertainty combined with Peak Oil could trigger some of the events that I just mentioned as people

either: hunker down to endure, call in their chips, or make hay while the sun shines.

RTH, the crisis I envision is gas going as high as $5 a gallon and greater, with a stock market "crash" to

boot. In such a scenario, few can afford to commute very far anymore without a bus or a train or a boat. A

small town with no jobs and mostly elderly people will be completely out of the question unless those

people are willing to live totally off the land and grid.


The Church: One surprising development will be home churches. With the internet making it possible to

get advanced theological knowledge, religious meetups will flourish. Many people used to this sort of

structure will take it a step further and simply study on their own, getting together in a coffee shop or home

to pray. Such a development will be seen as cheaper, less politicized, more casual and flexible. (You don't

have to dress up or come on Sunday).These orgs will just rent a facility for larger ritual purposes such as
weddings and funerals. Indeed, I suddenly see a whole host of churches and Cathedrals become
rent-a-churches, renting out available space to whatever group needs it for the day or week.
When I posted this, I did a Google search under the phrase "home church". So far, there isn't much yet, but
I see it coming. I believe it will be a convergence: the huge mega-churches with their 30k congregations
and fifty preachers, constantly haranguing people for faith-based votes and money, doubtless can lead to

a lot of isolation. Even with the whole activity groups, there could be many who feel like they could use a

little less crowd and more personal attention. Some people will come from political meet-ups, and wonder

why if personal contact is good for politics, why should religion be still top-down like nothing has

changed? The energy crisis will put in its two cents: many churches, especially the mega-ones, are

suburban edifices with huge parking lots far away from where people live. Do you want to spend $7 a

gallon for a 30 mile trip? Surfing the net for information and instruction, and getting together in a living
room or at a restaurant is cheaper, and once people get used to doing that, and not getting dressed up, and
being able to meet at a time when everybody is awake, few are going to want to go back to those mega
churches. Now community churches may still survive, and African-American churches that serve as a
refuge from troubled streets will still be around, but even here the edifices in the suburbs will suffer.
Some groups, like Pagans, are already home-based due to the disdain for hierarchy and the lack of funds.
Without a centralized authority, the desire for a huge temple is hard to manifest without extremely wealthy

members.

[Quakerfriend]

34. Very interesting, divineorder! It renews my spirit to think of

America returning to a land of beautiful forests and greenery. I have tried to hold this in my mind's eye and speak of it happening quite often with my children. I don't know if you have ever read The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. But, near the end of the book he talk about this very thing happening. And, he describes it just as you have. With people coming to revere (and visit) these newly 'restored' green spaces.

My heart skipped a beat when I read what you said about people everywhere going back to canning and etc. Several years ago, I asked my psychic (who is VERY psychic) about whether or not I should try to prepare for upcoming earth changes. Her reply was, "You will want to go back to preserving/canning things." Now, I last did this when I was a teenager. I loved living close to the land back in the '70s. But, I have grown away from this somewhat as life has become so busy and there seems to be so little time for anything. Though I miss it, I also can't imagine going back to it. So, this came as a bit of a jolt when she said this. My impression was that she was indicating that things would become quite dire.

I love what you wrote. Intuitively, I sense that your visions are accurate. Spiritually, I am working on letting go of the fear that life will become more difficult and, instead trying to focus on embracing the idea of someday going back to a way of living that I used to love so- and, one that is much healthier for our planet.

My husband and I just bought a house that has a wonderful greenhouse and a small stone fireplace out in the yard. When I first saw these things at the house it did cross my mind that they might come in handy at some time in the future!:)

[Cleita]

37. I love your vision of the future.

Strange I was toying with starting a novel about such a future. I'm just getting down the background and envision it much as you have stated. It's decades after a back to the land and handi-crafts movement takes hold because people need to survive and have jobs out of necessity.

Since all the corporate money grabbing has taken most of the jobs and the money, people start relying on themselves and eventually beat the corporations at their own game with the free market favoring the cooperatives and communes.

[divineorder]

38. The biggest fear, everyone has

Is that we would go back to log cabins and hardscrabble. The answer is no. The green industrial revolution will actually increase the abundance by allowing the third world to get electricity and fuel for the first time ever. Will corporations go away? Not necessarily. But I see a rebirth of local farming (and people will be surprised at the variety). People say that Americans will have to go without oranges and tropical fruit in the winter. Not necessarily. Hydroponic growing so far has been wasted on pot. In California, right now, moderately sized houses are bought and used for growing weed. There is no reason why something similar can't be done for oranges and tropical fruit and pears: when all the environmental costs are factored in, such as transportation and storage, hydroponically locally grown fruit can be quite competitive in price. There is also the psychic reward in growing something that people consider a benefit and not fearing the long arm of the law. In fact, I saw a flash: this may be what old MCmansions become: hydroponic growing places for a variety of things that can then be available year round. The crops would help the houses pay for themselves. The high ceilings are perfect for this work, with plenty of light and air flowing through the various floors.

Pot itself will eventually become legal and controlled, available mostly for medicinal purposes, hemp for industrial. We will find a substitute both electronically and through an already used herb for the getting high part.

The reintegration of communities will be a sight to see. For years many communities have been houses only, with commerce relegated to a mall or two. I see the reintroduction of some small pockets of commerce and hospitals among the suburban houses.

[divineorder]

39. The irony is that the poor

Will probably get more out of the new ways than before. Local farming needs workers. Excess crops, that are now a liablity by corporate farming, could be given to food banks, or handed over to gleaners who can carry it away. Handicrafts (such as the Dorcas society) could take excess clothing and refashion it into elegant clothing for those who need good clothes, and sell it cheaper. Housing projects can be made green with a little foresight-solar panels and energy efficient means much for people with fixed incomes and who live paycheck to paycheck. And localized farming may give some people a chance to actually make a living themselves by farming,even at a moderately subsistence level.

One fascinating thing that can be done at the local level is the revival of the FDR Civilian Conservation Corps and all the various works. Our infrastructure is in grave need of replacement and repair and updating. These too will be seen as a way to get people at least some dignified jobs, and unlike those programs, will become a permanent part of the Federal Government like the EPA or the Marine Corps. Indeed, I see an alliance between the military and ecological and conservational efforts that is astounding.

[rumpel]

42. this is my favorite prediction

on edit - not that I want to see anyone in physical distress - yes, even turdball - but the latter part is just wonderful -

:)

[peacetalksforall]

44. Should there be one or two scandals that bring things to an apex,

I hope one of them will be the full story of trafficking - weapons, drugs if the stories are true, secret handshake plans/agreements/treaties to exploit and control us.

[BlueIris]

35. Just wanted to throw in a couple more about world culture and society

that actually aren't mine, but they have strongly resonated with me for a while now. Remeber that psychic in England who sort of predicted Katrina (I'll look for the link to her predictions later, it's about twelve pages back I think)? She also predicted (in early '05) that within a few years time, Great Britain's Prince William would get married to a woman from a distant branch of the Monaco royals who is dark skinned. Then QEII will die, and there will effectively be a black woman on the British throne. Accoding to this psychic, because of the woman's charming and refined manner, her beauty and her genuine and enthusiastic desire to bond with the British people, the Brits wind up really loving their black queen. She becomes quite a "reverse" trend-setter, somehow bringing past times like letter writing and needlepoint back into vogue, and she and William appear very happy together. The kicker for me about that prediction was that the psychic then wrote that she saw the new queen (and her relationship with King William) being flat-out ignored by the America media--which is, sadly, exactly what I think will happen if this relationship does indeed come to pass. And I can totally see letter writing finding a resurgence.

[Quakerfriend]

36. That really resonated with me, as well, Iris.

Often times when I am particularly struck something, whether it be an event or something that is written or whatever, it does come to pass.

I have learned to make a mental note of it when I get that feeling.

And, this prediction really stood out to me.

[BlueIris]

40. ...egh. Well, I guess it could still come to pass but

I just read that William got engaged recently. Haven't checked my fav celeb gossip sites for confirmation. I saw her picture, though. Distinctly caucasian. Or, at least, that's what I thought. I was actually quite saddened to see that she wasn't..."our" future queen. 'Cause I still think that would be cool.

[divineorder]

41. Blue Iris

Postings in gossip rags is not the way the Royals do an "engagement". No doubt sundry people have tried to quietly force the issue by allowing a certain amount of gossip about their daughter to float. A Royal Engagement is announced with an official statement from the Court of St. James, and statements from everyone from the Prime Minister on down.

[BlueIris]

43. Ohhhhhh. So, it's probably less than true?

I also noticed that one of the better celebrity "news" magazines in the U.S. has picked this time to do a huge double issue on the royal family in GB. I thought that might have been in prelude to...something that's on the horizon and that might be the "engagement." I guess it's more likely that something else is going on. Or not, maybe that mag just felt like revisting discussion of the family. I don't know; I'm mostly a clueless yank. I'll just go on pulling for William to find our queen then.