OMG Nathan... I can't tell you how much I completely agree with your statements, and wonder the very same things my self.

The problem is, each is worried about their own, and not really in tune with the rest of the world or even their next door neighbor. I understand, people including me LOVE individuality, but there are ways we can atleast TRY to turn the pending devestation in the opposite direction and actively seek to better the world. Crude oil prices are $100/barrel yet some countries pay .15/gallon and others pay up to $7/ gallon. Global warming is a REAL problem, if people don't think so, that's because apparently they have no sense of true science. My dad was a chicken farmer for 20 years, and the cost to keep the poultry alive and well increased every year, Tyson's profits fattened every year, but you know the people who seldom saw the benefits of these actions, the laborers!

Illegal immigrants are doing jobs, that even I wouldn't do. I can't personally blame them for wanting a better life. They SHOULD however, go about it legally, but until WE demand and accept no different, it won't happen. Nostradamus and the Mayans were very intelligent people. The Mayans were far more advanced than even the current United States is. But every great innovator and/or world leader falls. That doesn't mean we give up and continue to look after us, and only us. We start being proactive throughout the world, rather than reactive, then we won't find ourselves with bleek outlooks.

I think that the American people are going to be in for a rather rude awakening before too long. And it won't be Islamic terrorists, it will be their own government.

-- Posted by Thom on Thu, Nov 1, 2007, at 10:36 PM

Before too long? Try ALREADY.

There's an old Chinese curse that goes, "May you live in interesting times," but if you start looking back, I imagine some could say that about themselves during any time period in history. I was born at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis, survived the Cold War, lived through period of dramatic social and geo-political changes and several wars this country has been in. Those 45 years could be called "interesting times".

There have always been doomsayers in every era of mankind. I think the difference is that we are now bombarded with so much information ... much more than our grandfathers would have conceived of ... that things seem much worse than they were in the past.

We have become more aware of troubling things because it is being reported more than in the past. These things have always happened, we just are exposed to more of it in this digital age

I think our government is the source of many of our problems. For far too many years our government has been spending money on things that we don't really need. I was completely shocked when the I-35 bridge collapse happened. Here we are spending billions of dollars to rebuild a foreign nation while key defense infrastructure is falling apart at home. How many other interstate bridges are gonna collapse if a tank battalion rolls over them? It is a total disgrace what Congress and the president are doing in Washington D.C..

We as Americans are doing our part. Production is up and GDP is growing, meanwhile these politicians are up there arguing over how many days a week they have to work. Shame on them! A few years ago when Zell Miller left the US Senate after serving 6 years he did an interview on the Daily Show. He asked the host John Stewart if he knew what the D.C. in Washington D.C. stood for. "Doesn't Care" was the answer he gave to his own question. I believe it!

There are companies that have exported US manufacturing jobs to foreign countries. I don't blame them for doing that because many had no choice in order to stay competitive. I do blame our government. They should have created huge import tariffs when companies started leaving home. I am sure there are problems with that plan, but that seems like it would have leveled the playing field a bit. So what if China and Mexico doesn't like it. We are the United States!

Where is that leader that will bring us together and make America stronger and give us all hope? Personally, I am just not seeing it with any of these candidates for 2008 and I think that is sad.

I will vote for Steven Colbert before I vote for Thompson. Knowing that ANYBODY with the last name Cheyney is within 100 miles of his campaign is enough for me to vote for Clinton. Might as well just elect Satan himself in lieu of Thompson. I thought something was fishy when he tossed his hat in the ring. Now I know something is, I have a feeling that he will just be another puppet for ole Dick.

Now all Fred needs is Karl Rove and his campaign will be a "slam dunk"!

Nathan, I think you've hit the nail on the head. I've heard people talk about 2012 being the "end of days" and whatnot. I don't believe that at all. It does seem to me like the next few years will bring about a change that will affect life as we know it...but not that the world will end.