Predicting the future is easy, as long as you don’t plan on living long enough to determine the accuracy of your venture through the glass. Nostradamus was famed for his prophecies, but actually, his predictions were so vague that they could be interpreted in any way one might choose. Accurate predictions of the future are much more difficult when measured against actual events.
Despite the odds, pun intended, many people try to predict the future, months, decades and even centuries into the future. A few weeks ago, the sportswriters of America tried to forecast the winner of the Super Bowl, to be played in Dallas in February, 2011. Needless to say, most will be wrong, especially those that try to forecast the final score, not just the game winner. I can do that, too.
Patriots 27, Packers 17.
Easy, right? I will probably be wrong, however, the Pats are likely to score more points than that.
Forecasting the future of America a century from now is much more difficult. Unfortunately, some of the predictions made today will have an impact on life in the US 100 years from now. To properly address the problems of the future requires an accurate assessment of life decades or even centuries from now. The approaching mid-term elections most certainly will affect life for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
America is still a young country, growing into a mature nation while experiencing social and economic changes on a vast scale. What will American look like in 2110?
Well, since I won’t be around to see her then, these are a few of my predictions:
White people in America will be a distinct minority, but racial tensions will be far less apparent than they are today.
To the largest extent, all people will be treated equally, gay and straight, young and old, people of all races, colors and creeds.
The disparity between the rich and poor will be far narrower than today.
Religion’s role in society will be greatly reduced as people express greater faith in science.
The world’s countries will all participate in a true global economy.
Social programs in the US will be stronger and far fewer citizens will fall through the cracks.
The pejorative term “socialist” will cease to exist, as most countries will employ a version of socialism as an economic engine.
Those are a few of my predictions – what are yours?
William Stephenson Clark
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
I like your predictions!
Since I won’t live another hundred years, here’s my plan — live in that world today. I don’t have to be limited by those who don’t move forward. The people I admire the most are miles down the road in embracing diversity so we just have to work on accepting those who aren’t. That should be challenge enough! 😉
I predict in 2110 we will use Earth’s resources more wisely. Parts of our world now inhabited won’t be then, and maybe we will have evened out the world population so we’re sharing the resources more evenly and equally. Getting to know, understand and respect different cultures will take away the fear people attach to those who are different and we’ll share our strengths, learn how to improve our areas of weakness.
I wish I could be as optimistic as you both – but I think America will follow in the current trend of voting for change and then throw the bums out in 2 years.
Americans will never change until we change our basic narcissitic, ignorant and arrogant ways of thinking we are superior ‘just because’.
We are a spoiled nation full of impatient, ungrateful, over-sexed and over-religionized people.
But I’m in my cynical mood today – could you tell?
This is one reason I am so cynical today about our country’s future. When we have politicians who want to legislate morality – then exactly where is the constitutional right to do that?
While these Teabaggeres profess to be so in love with the Constitution – they prove with their rhetoric and their past personal examples of their own lives what they really are in love with – and that is the sound of their own voice and the insatiable need to feel superior.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/16/christine-odonnell-slams-_n_719201.html
Hang with us, Indy. We’ll all help each other tolerate the intolerable.
Maybe we should begin thinking of them as handicapped. They really are. Not a one of us would expect a mentally handicapped person to be capable of critical thinking skills. But each mentally handicapped person can strive to do their best.
Life isn’t fair so we’ll learn to look out for the mentally handicapped, work harder, do it twice or three times sometimes, and smile. Always smile.
This will work!
We stop expecting mentally handicapped people to behave as mature reasonable capable adults and accept them for who they are, even help them to reach their potential!
I can’t believe this! OK I will bite hard to believe that has been up on a blog populated by Progressives that it has not been linked before?
“This will work!
We stop expecting mentally handicapped people to behave as mature reasonable capable adults and accept them for who they are, even help them to reach their potential!”
Your heart is so big it is not measurable Fnord, you willingness to keep thinking that Conservatives could change!!!!!
Conservatives could change? Would that be from bad to worse if they don’t get their way this time – again?
It’s normal behavior for mentally challenged to want routines. They don’t handle change well.
To refer to those who don’t hold your beliefs as mentally challenged is IMHO an attitude that serves no one and seems to indicate an attitude of superiority that is not very flattering
Yes! It is an abhorrent attitude! And, we see it too much today.
At another blog, YOU, Freebird, use this tactic for some bloggers. Everyone does it there and it becomes a contest to see who can be most insulting. I go there occasionally and am instantly attacked — for who I am, for holding opinions different than others hold, because ‘they’ seem to have some need to make others inferior to ‘THEM.’ Targets to pick on have been chosen and some are targets of several so they really get picked on. Rational, adult people behaving as childish bullies shouldn’t be acceptable in civilized society. What an example that sets!
Think about it. It must not even be acceptable to those who do it as they have need of remaking themselves as someone new with a new nic. Running away from who they are instead of expecting more of themselves?
There can never be conversation, there can be never be understanding, in that kind of atmosphere. In 2110 everyone should have finally learned this, don’t ya think?
Guilty as charged. Hopefully one day I won’t feel the need to do it but realistically the only thing I can hope for is progress and not perfection.
We’re all humans. We aren’t less or more than. But that kind of toxic atmosphere certainly doesn’t help us achieve our goals.
If any of the predictions Will makes for 2110 come true, we as citizens of Earth will need to make them happen. I think only kindness, love and respect will help move us to where we take the best of everyone and actually make progress.
Ah, dreams of utopia. Been predicted for centuries. And been wrong for centuries.
I’ll give you mine. Socialism – i.e. a largely gov’t regulated or command economy – will continue to be a discredited philosophy, accepted only in the ivory towers of academia and in the halls of gov’ts who use it to maintain power. Everywhere it’s been implimented, it’s been an abject failure. Primarily because the economic decisions gov’t makes, purportedly driven by the best interests of the “people” will be, as they largely are now whenever gov’t is involved, driven by the interests of the State and the governing class.
People in general will still be driven by what they are driven by now – greed, sex, and power, in various components and degrees. That will NEVER change, this side of heaven. Thus gov’ts will still be populated primarily by those driven by power, for self-serving reasons. They will continue to serve their own interests all the while proclaiming they serve “the people,” whoever they are.
As to the rest? Who knows? The only constant is change. And even in all that, people – who we are, and what drives us – never change.
Am I a cynic? Absolutely.
“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.” G.B. Shaw.
Always remember: Murphy was an optimist.
Oh, that Murphy! He was an individual, like each other person is an individual, except he said some stuff that earned him some money. I tend to believe some Murphys agree with that guy and can even make his worst prognostications come true, while other Murphys may use his words as inspiration to help ensure they don’t materialize in their own lives. I’ve never put much confidence in ‘boxes’ you can fit people in. I know I can make my own destiny and can make adjustments along the way too. I’m not limited by ‘what has always been.’
As long as we have religions in the world – there will be wars and constant fighting.
Religion is man-made. Faith is of God. And there is a HUGE difference between those two things.
Christians and Muslims are exactly the same when each holding weapons while feeling their God justifies their hate.