• Bet on America in 2012 - 2012 Predictions
    46 replies, posted
[quote]Zakaria: Bet on America in 2012 By Fareed Zakaria, CNN It's the start of a new year and in the spirit of keeping myself honest, I thought I'd look back at what I said and wrote in TIME Magazine at the start of last year to see how I did. It's always risky to stick your neck out and humbling to look at your own predictions - but here goes. The only indulgence I will allow myself is to start with the areas where I did well. I said that I thought that China would moderate its foreign policy behavior, recognizing that its assertiveness and arrogance over the last year had caused jitters throughout Asia. I think that happened. I said that the Taliban's momentum would be broken in Afghanistan; it has somewhat. And I said that the American drawdown of troops in Iraq would take place and would cause no regional crisis or instability. All of that seemed to play out pretty much as I predicted. I said that Iran would continue to be checked by a large group of regional and global powers. But there would be no American or Israeli strike. So far, so good. Now, my misses: I said that Europe would survive. It has taken the Europeans much time and many crises to come to the realization that they will have to bail out their spendthrift and unlucky partners in Greece and Ireland and perhaps in Portugal and Spain as well. Germany can afford the bill. Well, Europe has survived but I think the situation did not resolve itself nearly so easily as I had thought it would. My biggest miss, however, was the U.S. economy, which I thought would recover more vigorously than it did. So what do I think for this year? Believe it or not, I'm going to double down on my bets. I might have got the timing wrong, but I think I have the substance right. Europe will deal with its problems - not in a clean dramatic way, perhaps, not in the way that I had thought it would, but through various complex mechanisms that involve the stability fund, the European Central Bank and perhaps some kind of bond insurance. Read: 2012 is the year of elections. I remain convinced that Germany will not let Europe fall apart. If things get too dangerous, Germany will write the checks. It's just trying to get the best deal it can - it's try to get the most reforms from countries like Greece and Italy - before it does write those checks. As for America: I'm still bullish. I think the American economy continues to have great strengths. Consumers have rebuilt their balance sheets somewhat. The savings rate has gone from near zero to over 3.5%. Corporations are flush with cash. Yes, Washington remains dysfunctional, but remember there's a new dynamic at work even there. If congress does nothing - something it does very well - there are two sequestrations that take place. One cuts spending by $1.2 trillion and one raises taxes by $3.9 trillion. Remember, the Bush tax cuts expire if Congress does nothing, so all of the sudden there are pressures that bring the budget deficit down Read: A post-American world in progress. So the budget deficit problem could get solved - albeit in a blunt, crude way, but maybe that's how democracy works. It's easy to spot all the problems we face. But I think there are also some silver linings here and that's where I'm putting my money. What do you predict for 2012? For more of my thoughts throughout the week, I invite you to follow me on Facebook and Twitter and to visit the Global Public Square every day.[/quote] [url]http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/01/zakaria-bet-on-america-in-2012/[/url] I agree. I think that everything is slowly but surely turning around for Europe and the US.
Well for the US, the problem lies with Congress and the GOP, but most of them are really old and another year means another year closer to death for them. So that's why the new years is so special
[QUOTE=DesolateGrun;33998614]Well for the US, the problem lies with Congress and the GOP, but most of them are really old and another year means another year closer to death for them. So that's why the new years is so special[/QUOTE] And education (at least a little bit). I will be so happy once the old men in Congress start dieing off and we can actually see some change. So happy.
I dunno. Frankly I'm terrified by the amount of kids that are raised by Fox news.
[QUOTE=Atlascore;33998972]This post just blew my mind, the ignorance. Kids raised by Fox news? What? That sounds like something they'd fucking say. The majority of kids don't even watch the news, hell I'm pretty sure the only time anyone in our generation watched it for more than five minutes before the age of 18 was because of 9/11.[/QUOTE] No, kids do watch the news.
[QUOTE=Abrown516;33999049]No, kids do watch the news.[/QUOTE] Spongebob isn't the news, sir.
I have a lot of hope for the next generation. I have a cousin who was raised by very religious and far right people, and this cousin is going into the priesthood, yet he is still very liberal. Same with most of their children.
[QUOTE=Atlascore;33998972]This post just blew my mind, the ignorance. Kids raised by Fox news? What? That sounds like something they'd fucking say. The majority of kids don't even watch the news, hell I'm pretty sure the only time anyone in our generation watched it for more than five minutes before the age of 18 was because of 9/11.[/QUOTE] Just because you don't watch it yourself, doesn't mean that you aren't exposed to their propaganda. My brother is not very interested in politics, but he often comes home from school with conservative propaganda that a friend told him about. He doesn't know the difference between socialism and liberalism, but that doesn't stop him from whining about how the "red government" hasn't achieved any of the goals they set out to, when they were elected 3½ months ago. Just because you don't seek out the knowledge, that doesn't mean that you aren't exposed to it. In fact, that might just make you more susceptible to spin and propaganda because you have no other knowledge to compare it to.
Kids might not choose to watch the news on their own, but if your house is anything like mine (and if you're south of the Mason-Dixon line, there's a fair chance it is), your batshit insane parent(s) might keep Fox News on the television at all hours, yelling at the TV so as to be heard anywhere in the neighborhood, screaming about the persecution of Christians and all the damn y, where y equals the Mexicans, Muslims, niggers, socialists, gays, or hippies. They might not like it or choose it, but a lot of kids [I]have[/I] grown up in Fox News households.
Life will be better on Jan 1st 2013 than on Jan 1st 2012. We shall return in a year to see if my prediction was correct.
[QUOTE=Atlascore;33999448]You grew up in one of the most ignorant households of all time. Good job stereotyping an entire fucking region of people because your parents were idiots. You're no better than your parents.[/QUOTE] lmfao shut up retard "that doesn't happen to anyone ever" "Well I mean it happened to me" "OMFG STEREOTYPES YOU'RE THE REAL BAD PERSON HERE"
[QUOTE=Atlascore;33998972]This post just blew my mind, the ignorance. Kids raised by Fox news? What? That sounds like something they'd fucking say. The majority of kids don't even watch the news, hell I'm pretty sure the only time anyone in our generation watched it for more than five minutes before the age of 18 was because of 9/11.[/QUOTE] He probably meant that parents who watch it influence their kids. Which makes sense. Whether your parents are democratic or republican, they always tell you on [i]what[/i] to think instead of on [i]how[/i] to think and form your own opinions. Pretty sad.
[QUOTE=Atlascore;33998972]I'm pretty sure the only time anyone in our generation watched it for more than five minutes before the age of 18 was because of 9/11.[/QUOTE] GEE MAYBE RIGHT HERE
[QUOTE=Atlascore;33999448]You grew up in one of the most ignorant households of all time. Good job stereotyping an entire fucking region of people because your parents were idiots. You're no better than your parents.[/QUOTE] And the award for Least Evident Reading Comprehension goes to... [QUOTE=FZE;33999415]Kids might not choose to watch the news on their own, but if your house is anything like mine[/QUOTE] This is an example, attached is a condition - it's saying "should a child have grown up in a house similar to my own..." [QUOTE=FZE;33999415](and if you're south of the Mason-Dixon line, there's a fair chance it is)[/QUOTE] Because this is the primary demographic of Fox News - that's statistics, not a stereotype - and nowhere does it say that it's a certainty, or even on the side of probable, only that it has a fair chance of occurring [quote=FZE;33999415]your batshit insane parent(s) might keep Fox News on the television at all hours...[/quote] This is again conditional, it's depicting one possible scenario. [QUOTE=FZE;33999415]They might not like it or choose it, but a lot of kids [I]have[/I] grown up in Fox News households.[/QUOTE] What you shouldn't read from this is "Every Southern kid grew up in a house identical to this." because it doesn't say that.
[QUOTE=Atlascore;33999670]Do you even know how many people live in the South? It's pure fucking ignorance to say a lot of people here are like FZE's parents.[/QUOTE] LOL a lot of people in the [I]North [/I]are like his parents get over yourself.
I used to watch the news when I was a kid then I joined facepunch.
[QUOTE=FZE;33999415]Kids might not choose to watch the news on their own, but if your house is anything like mine (and if you're south of the Mason-Dixon line, there's a fair chance it is), your batshit insane parent(s) might keep Fox News on the television at all hours, yelling at the TV so as to be heard anywhere in the neighborhood, screaming about the persecution of Christians and all the damn y, where y equals the Mexicans, Muslims, niggers, socialists, gays, or hippies. They might not like it or choose it, but a lot of kids [I]have[/I] grown up in Fox News households.[/QUOTE] Well everything south of that line can go fuck itself. Please secede again and make a nice shithole country for yourself. Nobody wants any of the Southern states.
What a incredibly vague and useless blog post.
[QUOTE=NoDachi;33999816]What a incredibly vague and useless blog post.[/QUOTE] Its an editorial piece that is meant to provoke discussion, nothing more. I'm sorry I've upset you by posting it I guess I'll go kill myself now.
My personal prediction: We re-elect Obama because, while he's not fit to lead the country by any stretch, every GOP candidate is even more unfit. He's the least unfit of the bunch.
[QUOTE=Atlascore;33999448]You grew up in one of the most ignorant households of all time. Good job stereotyping an entire fucking region of people because your parents were idiots. You're no better than your parents.[/QUOTE] And you're illiterate.
[QUOTE=TestECull;33999952]My personal prediction: We re-elect Obama because, while he's not fit to lead the country by any stretch, every GOP candidate is even more unfit. He's the least unfit of the bunch.[/QUOTE] How is he not fit to lead the country? Please explain.
[QUOTE=lulzbocksV2;33999972]How is he not fit to lead the country? Please explain.[/QUOTE] Asks the person who thinks "no one needs the South".
[QUOTE=lulzbocksV2;33999812]Well everything south of that line can go fuck itself. Please secede again and make a nice shithole country for yourself. Nobody wants any of the Southern states.[/QUOTE] I'm pretty fucking sure the US wants the southern economies to stay with them. You know, so it's economy doesn't crash and burn?
[QUOTE=Repulsion;33998654]And education (at least a little bit). I will be so happy once the old men in Congress start dieing off and we can actually see some change. So happy.[/QUOTE] In Sweden the younger ones are worse than the old ones.
[QUOTE=lulzbocksV2;33999972]How is he not fit to lead the country? Please explain.[/QUOTE] Because he hasn't ended world hunger, or saved the whales, or made Christianity the primary religion of our secular government, or turned lead into gold. He's obviously a very bad president. Then again, I do have healthcare now. And I'm not living in a cardboard box on the streets.
[QUOTE=Miskav;34000786]I'm pretty fucking sure the US wants the southern economies to stay with them. You know, so it's economy doesn't crash and burn?[/QUOTE] The South offers nothing economically. They haven't had anything of value since the Civil War.
[QUOTE=lulzbocksV2;34001703]The South offers nothing economically. They haven't had anything of value since the Civil War.[/QUOTE] so do you think the south is devoid of life or something what about human capital? tourism? natural resources?
[QUOTE=Jaehead;34001859]so do you think the south is devoid of life or something what about human capital? tourism? natural resources?[/QUOTE] The human capital is the main problem with the south.
I don't get it and you think the rest of the country would be better off... if it lost all that?
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