What are Your Predictions for 2010?

Off Topic Politics & World Issues
21

[quote]Sloth wrote:
We will be shaken by a large body of evidence, emerging from the world of genetics, that men are not, and never have been, equal in ability. Nature vs. Nurture politics will be center stage.

While the prevalence of young earth creationism turned some off from the right and conservatism, genetic science will blur which party is more “science friendly.” Many on the right will highlight differing nature, arguing that social and economic outcomes across class, race, and ethnic groups can’t be equalized. Indeed, they will embrace the science. Pointing out that we are wasting resources and dumbing down, in the attempt. This will not negate nurture though. Conservatives will maintain that nurture is still neccessary to maximize outcomes within each group. But ultimately, equal outcomes, when looking at the sum of mankind, is ineffecient and unrealistic. Warning: Some evangelicasl will not follow along.

Many on the left will try to minimize, or outright deny, the new consensus. Others will grudingly recognize it, but declare that genetic winners are morally and legally obligated to keep trying to equalize outcomes with much greater centralized planning. Not because it can happen (equal outcomes), just because we’re suppossed too.

Talk of permanently sterilizing violent and sexual offenders will gain ground. Same with lower IQ single mothers who’ve already had one child while living off of government assistance. Though this will be seen as voluntary, in exchange for long term government assistance. We will justify this through genetic findings about the nature of violence, sexual activity, and IQ (especially differences between the classes). I wouldn’t be surprised if the non-denial left actually led this movement in order to save precious entitlment programs from a cold hard reality.

This will not all happen in 2010, of course. But history will record the foundation was set in that year. The foundation for what may be the greatest debate humankind will ever see.

[/quote]

Check out “The Blank Slate” for a solid read about this subject.

22

[quote]Brayton wrote:

What do you think of the possible tragedy that nature/nurture science could become as poltically motivated as environmental science?[/quote]

I think nature/nurture would be at the center of everything, including the enviromental movement. Consider us, the man virus, overpopulating the world, trashing it, and using up it’s scarce resources. So it’s often implied. Combine that with ‘nature’, and you have an argument for not only controlling population growth, but also shaping it. Resistance would be haughtily dismissed as creationist-like. Non-scientific egalitariansim.

23

The SA soccer world cup will end in disaster.

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[quote]hedo wrote:
Unemployment peaks at 12% at the end of 2010. Flat to negative GDP. Democrats lose the house and maybe hold the senate with 51-52 seats until 2012 where they lose the majority. Obama throws congress under the bus because of the way the country is feeling, they point fingers back at him. Reid and Dodd both lose their seats. Health Care and the EPA ruling on Carbon Dioxide both contribute to the poor economy and becomes their undoing.

I think Obama’s approval slides down to the low 30’s by year end. If a major foreign policy event happens his drops down into the 20’s. An affair is exposed that makes Bill and Hillary’s crackup seems like a grade school crush gone awry. Michelle threatens a tell all book.

Hillary announces she will run against Obama in the primary because “she can no longer stand by and watch the country crumble” or words to that effect. Loses the primary in a close race. Civil unrest goes from being rare in the US to a common occurrence.

Obama is gone in a landslide by just about any Republican who runs against him in 2012. Replaces Carter as the worst president int he past 100 years, even w/o the affair prediction coming true.[/quote]

haha this was awesome. fingers crossed

25

[quote]hedo wrote:

Hillary announces she will run against Obama in the primary because “she can no longer stand by and watch the country crumble” or words to that effect. [/quote]

I think this is becoming more and more likely. As a precursor to that, and related to he thread, I predict that Democrats in purplish states/districts will actually run against the Obama-Pelosi agenda in 2010.

That is, the ones who actually run. We are seeing a number of retirements.

No matter the electoral outcome, I think HRC will try and capitalize on the growing bifurcation of the Democratic Party and present herself as the Old-style Moderate Democrat seeking to reclaim the party’s soul (and independent voters).

26

[quote]Brayton wrote:

[quote]Gregus wrote:

[quote]K2000 wrote:
You talking about Congressional elections? My predictions:

Democrats will lose between 20 and 30 seats in the House. Not because Democrats are failing, but because some districts swung too far in rejecting Bush that their constituents are mis-represented. So, a small adjustment. Democrats will still control the House.

Democrats will still control the Senate. No Democrats will lose their seats in the Senate to a Republican. There will still be 58 Democratic Senators, 2 independent Senators, and 40 Republican Senators.

Obama will still hover around 50% approval rating, sometimes higher, sometimes lower. Not great, but better than Bush’s numbers by a long shot.

In 2012, the Republican primary candidates will be lackluster, and there will be a 2nd Obama term. Oops, I skipped ahead. ;-P[/quote]

You might be more right then you know. I too tend to thing nothing will really change with the exception of a slow recovery where each month is a little better then the one before it. [/quote]

I’m not sure if that sentiment is wholly optimistic or wholly pessimistic. It’s at least partly disappointing.

Living in Vermont, going to a liberal law school, I have to say that even this crowd isn’t enthusiastic about Obama or the economy. Those approval ratings mean nothing AT ALL - there is simply too much possibility that a significant chunk of that number is the result of active denial or just plain old hopefulness.

[/quote]

The sentiment is wholly optimistic on my part. Democrats are awful. I guess you HAVE TO grow up in a communist country and society to really understand, and i mean really understand how the Democrats are just Like Communists. They’ve been masquerading and hiding, but now as they’re getting more and more brazen you see their true colors bleeding through.

Say you have a group of hungry downtrodden people.

Democrats:

Will promise to feed.
Will promise better Food supply

Little if any food ever comes. But the promise of it being on the way is always kept in front like a carrot. Nothing much changes.

Republicans:

Will bring a charity on line to relive immediately.
Food may not come but a truck full of fishing eqp and hunting eqp arrives.

People raise up and prosper on their own strength.

One breeds dependence the other independence. Which is more American?

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The issue at hand is that Democrats don’t know how to lead, and Republicans don’t know how to win.

28

The troop surge will turn the tide in Afganistan allowing us to turn our attention toward Sweden.

29

[quote]Headhunter wrote:

[quote]AHA wrote:
Let me hear 'em :slight_smile:
[/quote]

(1) You will meet Lixy in a bar and become best brahs! :wink:

(2) The United States will take a giant step away from worldwide military hegemony as we simply can’t afford it any longer. The rest of the world takes the order provided by the US military for granted (they should actually fund it, IMO), so expect a dramatic increase in things like the Somali pirates. Those pirates are a preview of what’s about to happen worldwide.

(3) States and cities will declare bankrupty, seeking to get out of public pension and health insurance contracts. Teachers and cops will suffer terribly as pet projects get spared.
[/quote]

You are out of youre mind Head, Those unorganized douche bag pirates arent gonna take over shit.My contractor buddies have allready applied for security jobs on ships but the individual ports laws are creating problems.

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My predictions for 2010

  1. We will move one year closer to 2012

2.We will get permits to dig under and around the sphinx

3.My wife will birth our first child

4.I will go to the gym and remain frustrated.