These are some of my predictions for the world for the next twenty years. I’d love to see how you respond, and your predictions as well.
America will become a bi-lingual country. This will come naturally for the children, and will be more difficult for us Baby-Boomers and geezers. Since being bi-lingual can safeguard against Alzheimer’s disease, I predict the rate of Alzheimer’s will decrease by 5%.
China and India will become the largest and 4th largest economies in the world, with the U.S. and Japan at numbers 2 and 3. The European Union, taken as a whole, will decline to position 5. (See GNP definitions in Wikipedia, and GNP per capita standings of the world’s economies.)
Iran will build its nuclear weapons, but will hold off using them due to fear of retaliatory strikes by Israel and/or the United States. Ditto with North Korea. There will be no revolution in Iran, but the middle class and students will eventually wield influence over the country to transition them into a modern state.
After several years of war, there will be peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, as Palestinians start to realize the economic boom they’ve always hoped for.
Iraq will split into three entities, but work out a deal for the distribution of oil proceeds. The Kurds will finally have a nation. The Shia will be aligned with Iran. The Sunnis will be independent, keeping communications open with the West and the East.
The United States will eventually win the war on terrorism, including against Al-Queda. This will occur too as Al-Queda transitions from a terrorist organization into an economic and political power in the Middle East.
The United States will transition from a gasoline-powered country to the model of Brazil, using mostly ethanol. Other environmental advances will include more solar and wind energy, cars that get 200 miles per gallon, and new nuclear plants.
China, not traditionally an expansionist country, will use its new economic power in the world as a peacemaker, joining the United States and Great Britain for a Pax Americana-Britaina-Chinana.
2 comments:
Being the cynic that I am, I think my predictions would be a lot darker than yours. But the bilingual thing I definitely agree with. You'll have to speak another language just to function normally in this country and it's happening already.
kiyotoe, I know what you mean. I could get dark on these things too, believe me. I have a dark and a light side, like most people. I went with my light side this time.
Take care
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