Your predictions for the next four years

Since all you guys except Johnny are so negative, Ill go for the positive spin.

I predict Iraq becomes a free and self sustaining Nation, Afghanistan will continue as it has, with free elections and continued increased prosperity as the people discover the wonders of capitalism and demaocracy. I believe we will see France receeding from prominance and Eastern Europe will start to play a more prominent role in the world.

I predict China will not invade Taiwan in the next four years, and that the US military will continue to receive funding and support that it should have.

I predict that the US will put less and less of it's interests into Western Europe and more into the east, solidifying its ties to newly free former soviet nations.

I predict the Everquest II will be a smash hit and that my retirment portfolio wil continue to grow and bring me much contentment.

[Stratos]

Originally posted by MagiK: quote: Originally posted by Stratos: Yeah, God is on his side.

Kerry was the one spending all his time preaching in the temples and running on his religion. [img]smile.gif[/img] Of course you guys on the left never remember those kinds of things.
[/QUOTE]God is on Kerry's side too. God wants to be on the winning side, so he figures that if he support both candidates, he's bound to win.

Edit: Besides, I wasn't being negative.

[ 11-03-2004, 06:54 PM: Message edited by: Stratos ]

[Stratos]

I predict it will take quite awhile before Afghanistan and Iraq can be regarded as consolidated democracies. The people who hold the de facto power in those countries are used to getting political power through force, not elections. I also think Iraq will have it much easier than Afghanistan, being a more modern and richer country.

I predict Eastern Europe will put themselves in a very awkard situation if they cooperate with the US on issues that goes against the interrest of Western European countries. Many Eastern European countries just joined the EU and more want in.

My retirement portfolio will grow too.

Edit: At the end of the day, it'll be business as usual in the Bush administraion. Judge it however you see fit.

[ 11-03-2004, 07:07 PM: Message edited by: Stratos ]

[Jonas Strider]

This from an email from the husband of my female friend when she had taken down their front lawn USA flag in disgust of the election results:

"Don't read too much into this. Yes, Bush won. But, in US history, the incumbent President has always gained 10 - 15% if the election was held
during a war. So that alone is enough to swing the vote. If you take down the flag, that means you gave in and don't care about the sacrifices our family veterans, let alone family immigrants have made. I really think in the election 4 years from now, it will all turn around. People will be tired of the war (Vietman for example), the economy will not be great,etc. So we will go back the other way. It's been that way for 300 years."

[Sythe]

Originally posted by Jonas Strider: well have you ever noticed that when he and his wife are together they put on that exact same smile and the look of their eyes. They look like twins to me.

[img]graemlins/offtopic.gif[/img]
Lannisters!

[Dirty Meg]

My predictions for the next four years...
-The US will invade Liechtenstien, triggering WWIII.
-Wham! will reunite.
-After WWIII, the living will envy the dead, who all came from countries rich enough to be worth nuking.
-A new system of government based on mutual respect and tolerence will arise.
-It won't last.
-Wham! will split over creative differences.

[Gangrell]

Originally posted by MagiK: Since all you guys except Johnny are so negative, Ill go for the positive spin.

Quite hard to be positive when there's nothing to be positive about thus far under Bush's reign as president.

What I see is Iraq and all of the middle east ending up the same way as things did in Vietnam. The US will pull out after all the work and construction is completed, another ruler will take his place and set people at each other's throats again.

I think that Bush, within his boundless wisdom, will pull off a move to spark WWIII by attacking Korea because, again, of the threat of weapons of mass destruction we've still yet to find in the middle east. And this way, the US government will learn its lesson, and that is sometimes we need to stay the hell out of everyone else's business.

[The Hierophant]

International military prediction: Regime-change in Iran will be the next US military campaign. North Korea will continue to be 'overlooked' as a palpable US military engagement.

The newly elected Australian Howard government will consolidate ties with the Bush admin, cooling diplomatic ties between right wing Australia and left-wing New Zealand even further.

Labour will be re-elected in NZ in 2005, but by a much lesser margin than in 2002, thus creating a need to (re)form a coalition with the Greens and even the ethnically-volatile 'Maori' party.

WWIII will not occur, as the ruling classes of major global military powers will not be so stupid as to commit to mutually-assured-destruction. However, 'terrorist' insurgency will grow as a result of even greater religious authoritarianism in both America and the Middle East.

Overall, I think the 00's will be the decade that America spreads itself too thin... The world in 2010 will be a much more politically-level, chaotic place.

[Donut]

mmmmm! Where shall I begin:

No WWIII
A possible four nominations to the Supreme Court will allow Bush to influence American society for the next 20 years.
No new major invasions (can't afford it)
Ongoing instability in Iraq.
No tax increases
No attempt to control the deficit by reducing governmental borrowing
Increased interest rates to reduce consumer borrowing
Weakening dollar to encourage exports
further squeeze on US jobs
Attack on Iran's nuclear facilities (not by the US though)
No thaw in relations with erstwhile allies (please don't tell me you don't care - I know)
Increased influence of the Evangelical Right
Some movement on ME peace talks
Commitment to put an American on Mars before the end of the decade
Environment? More concessions to the oil industry of course
and a job for Tony Blair when he resigns in the next two years

[ 11-03-2004, 09:59 PM: Message edited by: Donut ]

[John D Harris]

WWIII? you people have got to be kidding me.