2006 Prediction Thread. We can start here unless mods put up official

[cantstandbush]

Thread. I think it would be interesting to have an official 2006 Prediction Thread on DU to see who at the end of 2006 had the most predictions correct and how insightful DUers are. Limit to three predictions per poster.

Here is my first prediction:

The economy is going to bust big time. The only answer this admin. will have is to print more money.
We are in an unrecognized and unpublicized free-fall right now with the housing market leading the way. The housing market is what keeps this economy afloat because households spend and they buy from corporations. We are maxed out on credit, housing costs are in free-fall and all those folks who invested in real estate (causing the bubble to burst very fast) will not be able to re-finance at the rates that will be socked to them this year. No spending means no demand and no demand means no economy. Take some money every month and sock in your mattress and pray that your house does not catch on fire! Thanks to medical costs, insurance costs ( and little return), usuray banking policies and fees, and energy costs....you working Americans who do not have UNEARNED INCOME are now broke!!!

This is one part of the Bush legacy.

[Cobalt Violet]

1. More people freezing to death this winter than deaths in 9/11.

It's just going to get nasty the next few months. I don't think anyones counting bodies though.


Oh, and this is also a predition:
The above story will go mostly uncovered due to another missing white woman.

[brokensymmetry]

2. Predictions - OK....

Gold will go above 600.

Oil will go above $80.

Gasoline will go above $3.50 per gallon.

Iraq will break into three parts. Civil war will occur.

Afghanistan will face more conflict. A lot more.

The U.S. will start shifting attention from the M.E. to South America.

Hurricane season 2006 will be worse than 2005. New Orleans will be hit again.

Drought in the central U.S. will continue. Food prices will increase.

Unemployment (official) will hit 6.5%. Actual unemployment will be higher. Underemployment will be much higher.

Housing will begin down. The new bankruptcy law will reduce large numbers of Americans to serfdom.

Ain't I a ray of sunshine?

[babylonsister]

3. The term 'ray of sunshine' wasn't where my mind was going;

sadly, none of your predictions are outrageous.:-(

[MichiganVote]

4. Election fraud. I predict its rise w/in those states with tight gov. races

[sam sarrha]

5. they will increase inflation in order to raise peoples income tax brackets

in order to raise taxes without increasing purchasing power.. thus nailing the poor to the floor of the economy

[sduncang]

6. 2006 Predictions...

1. Bush Administration scandals dominate the news

2. Democrats win at least one House of Congress

3. Alito is confirmed

4. Tom Delay will NOT return as majority leader, if at all

5. Interest rate increase, stocks improve - then slump as we head
into a recession

[Ready4Change]

7. Bush Impeached by Spring, '06.

Many people don't think it's possible when I say this, but I think the writing is on the wall.

All the various scandals threaten to tear down the current Republican hold on the government, and many are threatening the NeoCon elite. I think the NSA/Bush leak was the first volley in a salvo that will focus all attention on Bush, leading to his impeachment at the hands of Republicans. It will be a huge story, which will provide cover for the true power players to duck and run. Cheney, for example, will resign early for health reasons, and whoever is appointed VP in his stead will wind up as POTUS.

Why will the impeach one of their own? The Republicans are facing a huge loss in '06. Besides a myriad of scandals bringing the legitimacy of their own past elections into question, they've got out of control spending, the Iraq War, and an immensely unpopular President hanging around their necks. They will see that, by blaming it all on him, they can come out appearing as heros for just long enough to get elected again. Spring is the time to do it. They will do it "regretfully, but for the good of the nation, its people, and the Constitution." It will be a shield they will use against all criticism, regardless of applicability. And there won't be time for the public to be informed of the reality of things due to media complicity.

[JanMichael]

8. The speculative RE market will fall.

Some 30% of all new mortgages are Interest only or ARM!

Get out from under it, now!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. War with Iran is possible

or at least strikes (probably by Israel) on their nuclear facilities.

Russia and China side with Iran

China pulls the plug on our economy by cashing in the Treasury bonds they hold

CEOs of corporations bail out of US and head for their tax free island havens and move all production offshore.

Bush is impeached because Congress finally wakes up to the fact that this war is only going to make matters worse and that means the repukes won't be re-elected (which is their primary concern).

Savvy investors from Japan realize that the US workforce is at a point where they can be exploited and start building factories here-good for the working man.

Global warming effects worsen; the Gulf Stream shuts down, plunging Europe into another ice age-can we be far behind?

[CatholicEdHead]

10. Won't default ecnomically *yet*

We will just raise the debt celing again.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,180133,00.html

"Thursday, December 29, 2005

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary John Snow on Thursday said the United States could face the prospect of not being able to pay its bills early next year unless Congress raises the government's borrowing authority, now capped at $8.18 trillion.

The last time Congress agreed to boost the debt limit was in November 2004 — from $7.38 trillion to the current $8.18 trillion. The government's statutory borrowing authority also was pushed up in 2002 and in 2003."

It will be worse in the long run but not the short run.

[Mr.Green93]

11. Iran will destroy Israel

and the U.S. will be driven from the middle east. France will enter into a shared power agreement with its Islamic factions.

[x50600]

13. We

We could only be so lucky!

[malaise]

12. I predict that McCain will be out of the race in 2008

for health reasons.

I also predict that Rove will be indicted and that several Rethugs will be swing as a result of the Abramoff scandal. Who will commit suicide as a way out I can't tell; who will be suicided I know not. Ken Lay is up S creek without a paddle and the deal maker will do serious damage not only to Lay.

last prediction -an East coast hurricane in 2006.

[UrbScotty]

14. 2006

This year may be a turning point with regards to election fraud and reform. In a statewide race (for Governor or Senate), a Democrat will lead in the polls by around 8-10 points the weekend before Election Day, then lose by a small margin. After much presssure from the blogosphere, the Democrat will call for a recount. The Dem will win by several percenntages, people will wonder :wtf: happened, and it could mark the beginning of the end for Diebold, at least inn that state.

Nationally, Democrats gain at least three House seats, three Senate seats, and three governorships in the election. DeLay, Ah-nuld, and Santorum will lose. Bush will re-launch his privatization scheme days after the election, but again, no success.

The stock market will surge just in time for the elections, then drop right afterward.

[stevietheman]

15. Here's mine:

1) Economic meltdown beginning by March/April at the earliest (I could go into why, but that would make this a very long post)

2) Congress and major citizen protests rail against Bush on plans to attack Iran and/or Syria -- and this will include many true conservatives speaking out against any unjustified actions. Bush will see his sinister plans turned back at every turn.

3) Major all-fronts push to remove Bush from power, including select group of Republicans with their eye on the White House -- Bush will steadfastly cling to office, using his _perceived_ executive powers to stifle dissent and "catapult the propaganda" wherever he can, and his efforts will increasingly backfire -- Congress continues to resist impeachment proceedings even as the cries for it become extremely intense.

4) The mass media (arts and news) goes vicious on Bush, and we'll see many everyday citizens (not just "leftists") speaking in what the reich-wing will consider to be "treasonous tones".

5) A group of Katrina victims will find many creative ways to strike back at Bush, mainly through the telling of their stories, but I think we'll be honestly surprised at what they do.

6) It will be discovered that the Bush administration has been "cooking the books" on the economic numbers.

7) There will be a mass movement to identify all districts/precincts using voting machines without audit/paper trails. And a major push for establishing paper trails in those places will occur, and for those places without paper trails on Election Day, we'll see widespread vandalism of these voting machines on Election Day by aggrieved citizenry.

8) The fascist elements in our country still supporting Bush will become increasingly isolated and we'll see increasing efforts to identify them for blacklisting purposes. They'll have more trouble finding jobs, as an example.

9) The Religious Right will be increasingly attacked (deservedly) on many fronts (including by Republicans), and they will be increasingly revealed for the whackos and con-artists that they are. 2006 will be a year of the RR frothing at the mouth like we've never seen before, and this will be a great sign of their decreasing power and influence.

10) Alito will somehow not make it to the Supreme Court. My thinking is that things will come out during the confirmation hearings that will cause an implosion of much of the support he currently has.

[bklyncowgirl]

16. I'll play the game

1. Karl Rove will be indicted. He will continue to secretly run Bush's political operations from an old pigsty on the Crawford Ranch.

2. Abramoff will turn state's evidence against some Republicans but also against some prominent Democrats including Harry Reid enabling Republicans to escape the full brunt of the scandal. Reid will later be exonerated but it won't matter because everyone will think he's guilty anyway.

3. Bush will declare victory and pull large numbers of American troops out of Iraq sometime between August and October. Iraq will go to hell in a handbasket but Americans won't care.

4. Democrats will win back the Senate but not the House. They will procede to start fighting among each other about whether this is or is not a great victory.

5. A successful attempt will be made by moderates to force Howard Dean out as DNC Chair despite/or because of the party's partial victory. Dean will quit and run for president. He will split the liberal vote with Feingold allowing either Hillary Clinton or Mark Warner to coast to victory in the primaries.

[zippy890]

17. Massachusetts will secede from the country

haha - joke, but I kinda wish we would. now that Mitt's out of here.

[Cobalt Violet]

19. My dream come true!

I hope your psychic.

[Cleita]

18. I really think Bush and many of his cronies are going to be

gone by this time next year if we act upon the clout the 2006 election is going to give us. If we run good candidates against the Repubs and remind our own Democratic candidates that their jobs rest on our votes, they may finally get the picture and do their jobs, one of which is to start impeachment noise against BuchCo.

[cantstandbush]

20. Where can we archive this thread until the end of 2006? Please rec.

so we can get a lot of responses. And remember, this not a "wishful thinking" list, but should be your honest predictions based on your perspective of WTF is going on in this country.

[yurbud]

21. DLC will choke out progressive candidates in 2006, squeak to a win

their performance in office will not be different enough from GOP to make 08 a landslide for Dems, especially if they continue their support for the war.

[newspeak]

22. okay, here goes

housing market falls causing Americans to question the health of Bush's economy
Rove is indicted and information comes out about the Plame/Brewster-Jennings outing regarding Iraq
Abramoff and friends are indicted and revelations about his Sun Cruz deal is exposed
new evidence turns up about 9/11, that questions the administration's actions
A couple of whistleblowers come forward and expose the voting machine scam and the media actually cover it
Ted Turner being tired of the BS, once again takes over CNN
Bush starts the war drums for Iran and survey shows only 15% of Americans are for aggression against Iran
Bush goes on a wild, insane rant publicly during speech-showing the majority that he definitely has gone over the deep end
A majority of Americans have had enough of the neocon BS and protest in record breaking numbers thus driving the corrupted out of office
More and more corporations turn on their sugar daddy, after finding out that he gave them exactly want they wanted and now their in deep doodoo. (Be careful what you wish for)


I can dream, can't I?;)

[wovenpaint]

23. Cheney retirement coming up

I predict that Cheney will leave office soon due to "health reasons" - to be replaced
by a "viable" presidential candidate for 2008....hmmmm, possibly Jeb, Rice or even Mitt Romney???
Oh joy.

[Loge23]

24. recession, rising unrest, a tough year

Predictions for 2006:

1) The economy will stall. The oil co.'s will ignore the idiot and continue. raising prices, as they were promised anyway. Spending will crash, and interest rates will soar. The R.E. market is already tanking.

2) The Iraqi occupation will drag on. Iraq will strain under civil unrest but barely survive 2006 intact. Iraq will eventually cease to exist as one nation. By summer and fall, Americans will stage huge, noisy protests. By year-end, nothing substantial will have changed on this front despite a huge hit at the polls for the repukes.

3) The current administration will remain largely intact. The Fitzgerald investigation will end without major damage. Illegal, anti-constitutional, activities will continue and become increasingly accepted by Mainstream America.

4) Severe weather will continue with horrendous tornado in the Mid-West and hurricanes battering the West Coast of Florida and Gulf Coast areas mainly. A Caribbean country will suffer catastrophic damage.

5) China will begin sabre-rattling as a reaction to administration meddling in the M.E. and South America.

6) By year's end, an emerging domestic spying scandal will involve some prominent Americans. This scandal will become a major problem for the repukes in 2007 with possible impeachment for the idiot.

7) Britain will break away from the U.S. as a major supporter of the Iraqi occupation.

8) A dark horse candidate will emerge as a leading contender for the presidency.

[serryjw]

25. Astrologers predicts

not far off.
I agree with most above
Chaney will definitely resign, Abramoff scandal will bring down many, Rove will be indicted. Something will happen in Iraq around the release of the 3/06 oil Bourse, We will get the Senate( not sure of the House), Dean will resign!
http://www.astroworld.us/archives/000552.html#000552