your predictions for the USA in 2008?

I'm thinking it might be fun for forum members to make a few predictions for the USA in 2008. We could dig up this thread in a year and see if there are any prophets in the group.

I'll stick my neck out with the following:

1.) the mild recession will morph into a full-fledged recession with at least 8% unemployment, $1500 gold prices and minor chaos in the financial markets with the Dow falling below 10,000
2.) John Edwards will defeat Mike Huckabee in November by a landslide margin of over 10%. Ron Paul will stir the pot but the powers that be will deny him the Republican nomination.
3.) With Iraq virtually partitioned, the 'war on terror' will shift to Afghanistan/Pakistan with major fighting needed to save one or both of those regimes.
4.) Brittney Spears will crash her car in a drunken stupor, find Jesus and salvage her career singing faith-based Christian music.

1. US economy will slow down, no recession and will power ahead in the last quarter.

2. US dollar will hold steady at 2 to 1 pound sterling. Half way through the year it will strengthen.

3. Hillary Clinton will be voted the next US president.

4. US - Iran relations will thaw because of US need in Iraq.

^
Concur with all but #3
(I hope)

Scientists prophesy in 1901: what may happen by 2001


From an issue of the Ladies' Home Journal in 1901:

There will be five hundred million people.

Americans will be one to two inches taller.

There will be no C, X or Q in the alphabet which will be phonetic.

Hot and cold air will be available from spigots for temperature control.

There will be no more mosquitoes or flies.

Ready cooked meals will be readily available.

No food will be exposed to customers' breath and liquid-air refrigerators will preserve foods for a long time.

Coal will no longer be used and will be replaced by hydro-electric power from dams and from the ocean's waves.

There will be no streetcars in big cities because all public transport will be underground.

Photographs will be telegraphed from any distance.

Trains will run at a 100 miles per hour.

Automobiles will be cheaper than horses.

Everyone will walk ten miles for exercise.

There will be fast electric ships that will take only two days to go to England.

There will be airships.

There will be aerial warships and forts on wheels.

There will be no more wild animals except in zoos and rats and mice will have been completely exterminated.

Man will see around the world via cameras connected electrically to screens.

Wireless telephones will span the world.

University education will be free for everyone.

Store purchases will be delivered by pneumatic tubes.

Vegetables will be grown by electricity.

Oranges will be grown in Philadelphia and refrigeration will allow fruits to be imported from South Africa and South America in winter.

Strawberries will be as large as apples and so will all other fruits be bigger.

There will be black, blue and green roses as large as cabbages.

Drugs will not be swallowed but be delivered by electricity directly to the affected organs. Electric microscopes will make the body transparent.

Some pretty outlandish predictions, eh?
Although some of 'em are right on the mark.

$ strengthens to 1.50 per sterling
Yank economy strengthens as it has every year, no recession in sight.
democrats lose another presidential election
US situation improves in Iraq and US invades Iran. :)

The Dems engage in more outlandish ideas/schemes/verbal nearing November, then blame everyone and the neighbour's goldfish for their election defeat.

US constantly invited by Iran to invade, but cleverly holds off.

No US recession.

The $ strengthens to 1.80-1.70 midway to close at 1.70-1.60.

China revealed to have infiltrated Western govs, commerce and industry.

The Vatican's been quiet lately, expect a scandal.

No coup in Thailand.

Toxin does not reach Thai soil in a live state.

Ant has a revelation and comes clean that he's just been winding us up and really has only one dick.

Another virus-trojan-worm unleashed onto the www, the world squirms yet again and some call for a worldwide security cyberforce.

Britney rakes in more millions from another train wreck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by keda

Ant has a revelation and comes clean that he's just been winding us up and really has only one dick.

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The forums resident Walter Mitty finds someone else to fixate his disturbed sexual-stalking on...

The end of the World, as Jr will vow not to leave office before saving Iraq and destroying Iran,

should take a few decades,

!. No recession.
2. Dollar strengthens.
3. Dems loose again... clueless they blame GWB.
4. oils eases to $80.00 a barrel.
5. Al Gore has a gastric by-pass surgery.

^ Mr Earl becomes an alkie sexpat in Patong,

oh wait, that was last year prediction

In a nationwide epihany it will be discovered that 'We Are the World' was in fact a song to raise funds for starving children in Africa and not actually about the USA. Tragically this realisation will be forgotten mere days later when news of Paris Hilton shagging her dog knocks all other stories off the front-pages.

There will be a recession
House prices will tumble
China and India will become dominant economic drivers
Toxin given 20 years, but escapes to UK
Paris Hilton commits suicide when her credit card is cancelled

No recession, but the banks will continue to tighten loan leashes
The young savers and current renters will step in to refuel the housing market
Smart banks will limit rises in provisions and loan delinquencies by selling raffle tickets to the latter and then scooping the winning ticket to boost the B sheet
Jon Stewart will host the Academy Awards
Oprah will gain more weight and announce her infidelity with her GF
Jettie will make millions on her autobography "I didn't do it" and run away to Cuba
Mao and Elvis will do a joint concert

There will be a school shooting massacre

*DD enrolls in Text N Talk for his TEFL certificate.

*A Democrat will take the White House.

*GW Bush will win the Nobel Peace Prize for liberation of the people of Iraq.

*Thai Election Commission remain mired in their inability to disqualify enough PPP candidates and refuse to call election results. Toxin wins Powerball Lottery and buys the Dallas Cowboys.

*EC leader, the lady willing to give her life for her country, is shot with a squirtgun during Songkran and falls to her death, all caught on tape by TITV.

*Gasoline hits $200/bbl and Texpat parks his truck for good.

*57 new Britons will join TD, increasing the sour/angry/irritable quotient by 34 percent.

*Al Queda will takeover Pakistan, Iran, India and China -- European Union will urge restraint and language training -- UN will send food and aid workers to Beijing Olympics.

*Dalton will get laid.

*Osama bin Laden will be captured in Gordon Brown's swimming pool, during pre-confinement physical exam, will be determined to be a woman with hormone imbalance. Immediately knighted.

*Ant's twins will utter their first words, "Shut up, Dad."

*China will put a man on the moon, ridicule the US for producing such a shoddy lunar rover in 1967. UN fines NASA for littering.

*Scotland will cede from the UK, citing irreconcilable similarities.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Texpat

*Ant's twins will utter their first words, "Shut up, Dad."

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I certainly hope so - bringing me boys up to never be afraid to voice an opinion and to stand on principle! :D

War with Canada

I think there will be little movement in the S & P 500, and DJIA, and NASDAQ.

1.8 million more ARM mortgage loans will reset in 2008.


And yes, I predict there will be a recession (which doesn't necessarily mean 2 consecutive quarters with - GDP growth).

^ Aw, you read Goldman Sachs economic forecast today.:)

I predict, with some certainty, that Americans will vote for a more intelligent president.

https://teakdoor.com/images/smilies1/You_Rock_Emoticon.gif

It isn't that difficult.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

^ Aw, you read Goldman Sachs economic forecast today.:)

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I did not.

But I have a feeling as to what the forecast is. ;)

It's official, we are in a recession according to the WSJ, no need to wait for 1 year for official results

^ ugggh. I sometimes hate WSJ reporters. A bit early to say recession, even tho the banks really started feeling the credit pinch in 3Q.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Milkman

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

^ Aw, you read Goldman Sachs economic forecast today.:)

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I did not.

But I have a feeling as to what the forecast is. ;)

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Just kicking your leg. :) Just happy I'm not the mgr of a subprime mortgage unit.