2008 was a bad year from nearly all perspectives. The only improvement in 2008 is the situation in Iraq. President Bush and Donald Rumsfeld's stubborn refusal to put in more troops and change strategy postponed the potential success of Iraq off until 2008. If they would have admitted that things weren't going well, maybe they would have made that change. At least President Bush finally opened his eyes after republicans lost the 2006 midterm election and fired Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld would never have admitted the failure of his policy. Good riddance!
Economic hardships and international turmoil weighed on the minds of Americans this past election year. America blindly wanted change, just as they did in 2006. They didn't take in how unpopular the democratically-led congress was because their approval rating was nearly a third of Bush's. Be careful of what you wish for.
Will 2009 pick up where 2008 left off? Will things improve or will things get worse? Here are some of my predictions for 2009. For most I hope I am wrong, but we shall see. I foresee 2009 as a giant step downward. History will see 2008 merely as a transitional year, and a harbinger of the evil ahead.
Oil prices - Just because gas prices have come down in recent months, that doesn't mean they will stay there. As a matter of fact, there is nothing different between now and when gas prices went to $4 a gallon. We are still by far energy dependent. We elected a party that refuses to drill offshore while other countries are off our shores taking what could be ours. OPEC is still the oil producing mafia, and whatever they say goes. The only reason that oil prices went down was because President Bush said he was lifting restrictions to drill offshore. The very next day oil prices started to drop. People who invested nothing in the future's markets saw that they had a good run, but it was time to sell. A hefty profit they made as Americans struggled to get to work. President Obama promises to increase taxes on the oil companies. As many know, businesses do not pay taxes. They increase the price of their products and have us pay for their taxes. In order to actually drill offshore though, congress has to also lift their ban on offshore drilling. The election assured us that this will not happen. The pieces are in place for a return to a steep increase in oil prices. Tensions in the Middle East will also be an excuse for the rise in oil prices. 2009 will see a steady climb in prices by the end of the year.
Israel - Israel is using the time between administration changes to try to clean as much house as possible. They're not stupid. They know President Obama will try to cut their legs from under them should Israel be forced to respond to Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas. How far it will go will depend on how poll numbers see the Kadima Party in the upcoming elections. If poll numbers show a favorability towards Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud Party, then it will probably be a significant battle ahead. If poll numbers are in favor of the centrist Kadima Party, then they will only go as far as it takes to make sure they keep power. Recently, Netanyahu and the Likud Party are opening a bigger lead in polls over Livni and the Kadima. Elections will take place February 10th.
If Netanyahu wins, Israel will have a leader that will not back down from any threat in the region. He's a hawk, and rightfully so. Israel's enemies are not only on its doorstep in nearly every direction, but they have enemies within. Netanyahu will bring a new policy in dealing with Iran and Syria. Look to Israel sending a message to Iran through Syria. Keep an eye out on what happens to Damascus. Also keep an eye on Madrid sticking its nose where it doesn't belong. The rise of the EU will continue.
Russia and China - Both will grow in power. Technology and a smaller world has helped them in ways most can't imagine. Both countries are using countries who hated us for years, but in years past couldn't really do much to us with their hate. Now with technology being more advanced, we are forced to pay heavy attention to the countries we just saw as a nuisance before. That will open up both countries to push their agendas forward. President Obama and the Democratic Party in charge doesn't have the backbone it takes to confront them. We're already in Iraq and Afghanistan, much with Russia and China's help. They blocked us from putting forth a strong message to Saddam Hussein as they made money from the much too seldomly covered UN's "Oil For Food" scandal. What really helps China is that we are in so much debt to them. Americans realize the future Chinese threat, but administration after administration doesn't seem to. For this, we are destined to pay a price.
President Obama - The world will test him quickly, just as stated by VP Joe Biden. The enemies of the US saw our election of Obama as a blink. They will at least try to take advantage of our perceived weakness. I foresee trouble again in Iraq. Iran will be responsible, but will of course have Russia's permission. Iran cannot sneeze without Russia's permission. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, it was because they wanted to reach the southern shore of Asia. They didn't choose Iran because they're already allies, so they didn't need to. Biden's prediction will be accurate to a point, but I don't even think he realizes how much Obama will be tested and by how many fronts this test will come from. Maybe by the end of the year to quell the Iraqi uprising, Biden's idea of partitioning Iraq will come to fruition. In 2008, it seemed like the whole world couldn't stand us. In 2009, it will seem like the whole world has risen up against us.
Economy - There is no way out of it. We are headed for very troubled times. I won't blame the year ahead economically on President Obama, but I fear his administration will make things worse for the long run. More borrowing and higher spending is the opposite of what we should be doing. He's still sticking to the tax cuts idea, but won't say when he will get rid of Bush's tax cuts on the supposed wealthy. That's more borrowing from countries like China. That weakens more the American dollar, which again fell against other currencies around the world. President Bush and the republicans from years ago have handed a heavy baton to President Obama, because they lost all fiscal responsibility. The republicans wanted to keep their power so they showed the dems they can even outspend them with pork projects and increased spending. During a time of war, that was a recipe for disaster. Instead of dems showing they can be somewhat fiscally responsible, they're going to say to the republicans "you think you can outspend us? We're democrats. No one outspends us! Who are you kidding?!" That will drop the already weak dollar even more. Factories and businesses will continue to close. Unemployment will crash the economy. I'm sorry to say, I really don't see a way out of this. Even the great optimists must have a feeling in the pit of their stomachs of our nation's future economic outlook. 2008 was only a prognosticator. 2009 will be the fulfillment.
Global Warming - Finally people will see this as a fraud perpetrated by those with a vested economic interest and a thirst to be in the news. This will be the second straight year of cooling weather. As winter approaches at the end of 2009, cold temperatures will again foretell a cooler than average season. That will be three winters in a row with cold temperatures. People will line up in front of Al Gore's mansion, snowballs at the ready waiting for him to peek his alpaca wearing head from around the corner. Scientists will point to the cooling trend as being a drop in sunspot activity. Instead of saying this comes in cycles, they will again predict an ice age looming. They don't care if they get proven wrong again. They just love being in the news.
These are a few of my predictions for 2009. I'm pretty good with my predictions I must admit. These predictions if they come true will not provide me with any satisfaction. They're too dire with too great of consequences. I will enjoy the global warming hysteria crumbling though. I have a feeling that I'm not the only one among you that will have a big smile over this. 2010 will begin where 2009 left off, but in the middle months things will change. They will not change for the better. Perhaps it will look as such, but the seeds of evil will be planted by the end of 2010. Oh! And a happy new year to you! ; )