2012

[Guest]

This is not political but it could be we have some intelligent people on this catagory. Everyone has seen or heard of the movie 2012 where the Myan predicts that the earth will come to an end. Don't beleive it is true what they were predicting is the end of an age. What with all the countries of the world in such economic trouble I beleive that the world economy will end as we know it to be and a few countries will end up ruling the masses. China will probably be the leader or strongest financially with India close behind. Come on guys lets have some disscusion on this interested in other theories. Better than beating each other up on current politics.

[Guest]

DDoug,

Interesting that you should bring this up. I think that you are right about the end of an era, but wait, where are the folk, IE., the Mayans who created that calendar, or could it be that the carver of the stone calendar just got mad and quit because the King would not pay for more carving. LOL BTW the movie was great for an action flick.

I did a lot of research on this, and this is what I have found. According to the best minds, every 26,000 years the earth tips 5 to 7 degrees back and forth at the North Pole. This tipping causes climate change, so what is now forest could end up being desert etc. It was an interesting search for information with lots of scientists thinking what we are seeing in the way of climate change is normal for the tipping action and then again in another 26K years, it will tip back to another position.

I do believe that long before the end of 2012 we will be in big financial trouble if we don't change our ways, bite the bullet, give up lots of entitlements, including SS, medicare and general welfare. But since no one wants to give up anything free, or what they think is free but is really paid for by the working class, nothing is going to change until it is too late to save our current way of life. This is what happened to the UK after WW II when the pound sterling was the world reserve currency. When the dollar replaced the pound, the UK under went high inflation, high unemployment and social unrest for a couple decades. I just hope that we can get our country fixed before ths happens to us.

As for who will end up on the top of the currency control board is anyone's guess; my best guess would be China or India. But anything can happen so it might be best to prepare for an emergency and be able to take care of yourself and family for a few months until things straighten out or completely fall apart.

As the old saying goes, "Who knows how WW III will be fought, but WW IV will be with sticks and stones."

[Guest]

If we pull back all the give aways that we do pull in some the battles we are fighting get manufacturing back into this country we would be better off. If we did have a WW III where would we get weapons from our enemy. I don't want to see SS change I've paid into it for 45 years. If we can't remove the illegals then maybe we should register them as legal and collect the tax dollars we are losing. Bet if they had to pay taxes as we do they would leave the country. Unfortunatly we probably do need a economical colapse. If we don't all prices will sky rocket.

[Guest]

As far as SS is concerned, when it first started the average age was around 65. Most did not live longer than that so SS was storing up money for the future, that is until Congress seen that it was just sitting there drawing interest. Now that the life span is up into the 70s for both ladies and men, SS is not able to keep up with the change.

Either the retirement age has to be raised or we will all need to take a cut in SS payments. If we take a cut in SS payments, then we the people should demand that Congress goes under the SS plan for retirement. I, for one, am tired of financing an elected public officials retirement plan and medical plan. Let them join us and see how they like it. I will bet that SS get fixed and funded quicker than a brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.

Read an interesting email that has been circulating lately. Could not find anything to prove or disprove the numbers but in a nut shell the jest of the email was, 3 states, Michigan, Wisconson and North Dakota, during deer hunting season, fielded a 1.2 million man armed army, in which no one was shot, other than a few deer and everyone went home. If in fact this is true our government really needs to start taking care of it people and do as we elected them to do. Hungry people do crazy things, just look around the world at the current unrest in the 3d world counties where there is a huge difference between the "haves" and the "have nots."

Oh, and I have been paying SS since I was 13. Being a military brat, when we were stationed overseas the Air Force would have summer jobs for us. 35 cents an hours and we could only work 4 hours a day for 3 days a week. They took SS out of our pay checks. So I guess that I have been paying SS for 54 years now.

Come on folks jump on in and give your opinion, this could be a really good thread.

[Guest]

Predicting that this great and powerful nation will break apart seems nonsensical on first glance, but I believe it is not. Today, the United States has a managerial model that is not only obsolete, but one no longer functioning. We have a strong central headquarters (Washington, D.C.) that sucks up all the money and controls at a level of detail that makes no sense.

Is there any reason for any of the following? Washington:

Setting the speed limits in Arizona.
Controlling oil production in Alaska and Texas.
‘Owning’ over 50% of the land in this country.
Regulating tourism in Hawaii and Florida.
Involving us in wars without clear reason or Congressional approval.
Hiring people to determine whether specific medical offices accept different insurances
Determining which countries and American citizen can and cannot travel to.
Supporting other governments and trying to determine the system of government for other nations.
Maintaining military bases throughout the world.

The list can go on and on, but I believe you can follow me. Corporations gave up centralized control because it did not work. A classic joke of the ‘80s was, “I am here from headquarters and I’m here to help.” No operation wanted the ‘seagulls’ around.

To provide an idea of how insulated Washington is from reality consider that there are approximately 13,000 registered lobbyists in D.C. spending an average of $7,000,000 per congressman or senator. This figure does not include campaign contributions.

The cure for this problem is the devolution of the United States just as the devolution of the British Empire was necessary for all of its parts to prosper and the devolution of the USSR had to occur. In these cases, everyone came out better off in the end.

What lines devolution will follow is impossible to predict. It may be along state lines or regional lines. I suspect it will be on both. Alaska and Hawaii can easily stand-alone. Cascadia, a nation made up of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and possibly Alberta makes sense. Thomas Jefferson saw the possibility of such a nation in the early 1800’s.

What makes sense is change. What makes no sense is believing the current broken model can continue.

[Guest]

I have to agree with you on centralized control. That doesn't even work in the Military. I know, I spent 13 of 20 years watching for the Big Bad Bear to come rushing in to Germany from the Felda Gap. After a few tours in RVN, control was given to each Fire Base Commander and Corps Commander and it worked well and most likely saved a few lives. General orders, giving each commander the ability to react to a situation worked best.

Now, will the US break up. It was first brought to the surface by a Russian ecomonist. It could very well happen since the 535 leaders really have no idea what is happening outside of the beltway. Seems that each president and congress going back many years has sussessfully added more power to the central government and taken power away from the states. This has to change and the states have to take back the powers given them by the Constitution. Will that happen peacefully, I sure hope so, and hope that it is a peaceful transfer of power.

Otherwide I am like you I don't know what will happen or how it will but I think that it is not far from happening. I would suggest that each of us be ready for an emergency and be able to take care of ourselves for a while during this transition.

[Guest]

Yeah, that Russian professor made that prediction in 1998 - said it was 'imminent'. He repeated himself in 2008. When backing up his assertations, he got his historical facts wrong (said there was no debt in the 1980s). In addition, he doesn't realize that all the states in this country joined voluntarily. None were conquered. Some were independant countries who sued to join the Union.

If a state can't find the gumption or wherewithal to exercise it's rights under the Constitution, how do you think they're going to find the brass coconuts enough to actually secede?

[Guest]

Could you see The Villages become it's own country. Could you see the average age of the army. Could have The Villages Armada on Lake Sumter and the radio control sailboats on Del Mar have a sea battle. Just thought I would put some humor in.

[Guest]

Count me out of The Villages Army. I did my time in the green machine. I think that I would look for a hiding place in the swamp and join up with the Swamp People and hunt gators. Besides those two brothers, the cat fisherman, look like they are having a really good time.

[Guest]

Yeah, that Russian professor made that prediction in 1998 - said it was 'imminent'. He repeated himself in 2008. When backing up his assertations, he got his historical facts wrong (said there was no debt in the 1980s). In addition, he doesn't realize that all the states in this country joined voluntarily. None were conquered. Some were independant countries who sued to join the Union.

If a state can't find the gumption or wherewithal to exercise it's rights under the Constitution, how do you think they're going to find the brass coconuts enough to actually secede?Djp, look at the process that led up to the dissolution of the USSR. The member states did not rise up in a civil war. The center collapsed when the economy ceased to function. There was no coup., although one was attempted. There was little bloodshed. Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, etc. went their own way. Germany reunited and all Russia needed was assistance in getting its troops back. Poland, Hungary. Kazakhstan, etc. all went their own way.

Twelve former states of the USSR are now members of NATO. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia have become members of the European Economic Union with East Germany being a part of the union since German reunification. Oil fields in The Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia are being developed by those nations.

None of this required a civil war remotely comparable to the one we had here in the United States. When the center collapsed, the individual nations HAD TO make their own way. It wasn’t a case of growing a pair; it was a matter of survival. Today, they are stronger. Today, the United States government is increasingly dysfunctional and unable to survive even as its share of the national product radically increases. I would hope that the people can take off the blinders and see what is coming.

[Guest]

Interesting article, especially coming out of California.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/07/01/official-calls-for-riverside-12-other-counties-to-secede-from-california/

Could this be the start of the "center collapse" that BBQMan is talking about. Sure does seem strange coming from California.

[Guest]

Interesting article, especially coming out of California.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/07/01/official-calls-for-riverside-12-other-counties-to-secede-from-california/

Could this be the start of the "center collapse" that BBQMan is talking about. Sure does seem strange coming from California.

Be sure to see the poll and its results on that page, and the reader comments.

I think constituents are FED UP with the constant abuse of their hard-earned tax monies.

[Guest]

Start buying your guns folks and be ready for what ever. Remember the song Tin Soldiers and Nixons Coming We're finally on our own. Take a closer look is that it. Maybe the end is near