Change

This picture was taken in 1937, and shows a group of refugees in Arkansas lined up, hoping to get some food. Look at the people's shoes and clothes. I think you would probably be hard pressed to find this level of poverty and hopelessness in the country today. With that, though, the buzzword or our day appears to be "Change". Its change we want, and, I fear, it is change that we are about to get. My word of caution is, be careful what you wish for.

I believe in the next four years we will see unprecedented change in the world, and in our country. Things that we would never have dreamed of will unfold before our eyes, and things that would have seemed unimaginable a few years ago will become a reality. So, I will give my predictions of things we will see in the next four years. Before giving my predictions, I should share a little about my background. Most of you know that presently I am teaching high school. However, I spent most of the last 20 years working on National Security, Nanotechnology, and in various executive positions in the corporate world, and in government organizations. While I am not presently actively working in National Security, I stay in close contact with my old friends who are still there. My predictions are not based on any inside information, but just my analysis based on my experiences in the areas above.

CHANGE: My Predictions for the Next Four Years:

1) We will see Martial Law declared in the United States. As our present economic crisis moves from Wall Street to Main Street, suffering among common people will increase. As the crisis worsens, it is likely that at some point there will be supply disruptions of basic necessity items in some major cities. These disruptions will lead to rioting and looting. While the crisis will be spurred by supply disruptions in food or fuel, the looting will be towards places like Malls and department stores. Martial Law will be declared to try and restore order.

2)We will see a Nuclear Weapon used in anger. I do not believe it will be a terrorist attack, but will be a "State on State" attack, i.e., one country will bomb another country. This attack might not directly involve the US, but will bring the US to the brink of a full scale nuclear exchange.

3) Our "basic rights" as Americans will be redefined. Political correctness is presently realized primarily as pressure exerted in the workplace. You still have freedom of speech, but many opinions expressed at work will kill your career, or get you fired. Political correctness will make the next step forward, however, and will become law. Laws like the "fairness doctrine", and other similar measures will basically remove our freedom of speech. In addition, unrest in the cities will likely lead to a loss of our right to bear arms.

4) We will likely see another major terrorist attack against the United States. I believe it will be different than the 9/11 type of attack, but will be just as terrible. I believe the next attack will be an act designed to collapse our weakened economy. I also believe that some form of a spectacular attack on our children would be possible.

5) The present reprieve from high gas prices will be short lived. High gas prices will return, but this time we will also experience shortages where we will see gas stations running out of gas, similar to the 1970's, but much more severe this time.

6) We will likely see some fundamental change to the structure of the US Supreme Court. There will be a legislative or executive directive possibly adding new members to the Supreme Court.

7) As the economy worsens, there will be a major move to hard assets like gold. As this happens, gold prices will approach $10,000 an ounce. Private ownership of Gold and Silver will be outlawed, except for those with established businesses making jewelry or use in electronics.

I am not trying to be gloom and doom, but I am concerned that people do not realize the risks we face. We act as if there are no consequences to the decisions we make, and the directions we take. We act as if another great depression could never occur, or that we could never lose our constitutional rights.

And the change will come.