Departments



Articles

Less

Editorial: Myths, Misinformation and Propaganda
December 16th, 2008

Editorial: Editorial: Will Park Closure Just Make Things Worse?
November 29th, 2008

Editorial: Editorial: October and November Surprises
October 30th, 2008

Editorial: Is the Sky Falling?
September 24th, 2008

Editorial: Editorial: Who Reads Cedar Key News?
September 19th, 2008

Editorial: The First Hurdle for Every Child
September 3rd, 2008

Editorial: A View of China from Cedar Key
August 18th, 2008

Editorial: Who Killed the Real Estate Market?
August 8th, 2008

Editorial: Editorial: It`s Clamerica!
July 1st, 2008

Editorial: Can the City Commission Limit Noise?
June 6th, 2008

Editorial: Unintended Results Rock the Boat
May 29th, 2008

Editorial: Creeping Gas Prices
May 13th, 2008

Editorial: Cedar Key Election Soon
April 30th, 2008

Editorial: Questions fo the Candidates
April 2nd, 2008

Editorial: Coming Elections: National County and City
March 19th, 2008

More

2008 and Some Fearless Predictions

2008 and Some Fearless Predictions

Editorial

Looking back on 2008, it is more than understatement to say that there were some surprises. The Presidential election, the financial turmoil and the triumphant rise of the Gators have been fascinating. Looking ahead and making predictions seems difficult when one considers the volatility of the past twelve months. Cedar Key News accepts the challenge to predict what 2009 will bring.

The Obama phenomenon went in ten months from improbable to a resounding electoral success. By comparison with past Presidents, President-elect Obama must be a success as President. In absolute terms, we predict Obama will have great, if not complete success. FDR's memory is often invoked because Roosevelt faced the Great Depression and World War II. If Obama is successful he will rank with Lincoln. Obama faces economic problems on a global scale and overseas wars in increasingly hostile places.

The wide-spread recognition of names like Lehman Brothers, AIG and Fannie Mae speak of the recent interest of many people in the financial world and how it affects everyone. The bail-out of Chrysler in the '70s was peanuts and almost forgotten. Suddenly the importance of the automobile industry in our economy has been recognized. We make no predictions on how the bailouts will work. Automobiles are emblematic of the U.S. Every teenager in Asia must dream of having a car. Whatever the terms of the current bail-out, electric cars are in our future. A safe prediction is that BMW will market a 250 Watt Mini that goes like stink in ten months while we wait until 2010 for the Big Three to deliver something less that a Mustang.

No review of the Gator's rise to greatness in needed. Prediction: Gators by 10 over Oklahoma.

On the international scene, the financial upheaval is indeed international. We have been in a global economy for a long time. The Marshal Plan and the resurrection of Japan's industrial might showed that. China's economy in 2008 is now in the mix. The following prediction, as the twentieth anniversary of Tiananmen Square approaches, is that the economy, the internet and millions of young Chinese will bring about a new revolution in China in 2009.

Click for printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

 

 

© 2013
Cedar Key News

cedarkeynews@gmail.com