Doom and gloom in OH SIX

James Hower Kunstler (author of The Long Emergency) has a gloomy prediction for 2006. The article is an interesting read and there are more comments than there is article. I like some of the comments they were very informative as well. The parts I believed in were:
  • The Republican party will take a huge beating especially with the spying and Abramoff scandal.
  • The TV watching public will be distracted by all the noise from the scandals.
  • Gasoline prices will go to $4.00 a gallon.
  • The housing bubble will collapse and bring much the economy with it.
  • The US dollar will take a beating.
The good side, as I see it, is that this may force Americans to rethink the way they live. I see people buying smaller, more efficient cars and smaller houses or apartments closer to the city. Living in the city is ultimately healthier for the environment and for people as well. Perhaps we'll see public transport working better as well (think of New York City or England). I think the political scandals are good as well, voters are looking more carefully at who's feeding them the news and looking at blogs and other sources for varied information. I think that conspicuous consumption will be considered a shameful act, just like driving a large SUV is becoming one as well. Perhaps Americans will also see the war as the shameful act that it is, and the economics just don't add up.
Sometimes you need a big shock to adjust the way you think, maybe 2006 will be that shock.

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