Ron Paul's Predictions

[bhunter]

Here are some predictions that Ron Paul made in 2002. Though I'm not a Paul fan, I found it amazing how accurate he was.

During the next decade, the American people will become poorer and less free while they become more dependent on the government for economic security.” See: A long, steep drop in American’s standard of living.

“Agitation for more class warfare will succeed in dividing us domestically.” Although Paul has been sympathetic to the Occupy Wall St. protestors, one could argue they are doing this trick in spades.

“The United States, with Tony Blair as head cheerleader, will attack Iraq without property authority and a major war, the largest since World War II, will result.”

“Erosion of civil liberties here at home will continue as our government continues to respond to political fear… by making generous use of the powers obtained with the Patriot Act.” The National Defense Authorization Act, everybody!

To paraphrase Paul, government will grow to record levels, satisfying both left and right as liberals gain an expansion of the welfare state and conservatives see more security spending.

A broad oil boycott hasn’t happened yet - and it’s unclear who is going to be imposing the boycott - but if Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US sanctions boycotting Iranian oil, oil prices would skyrocket and you could count this one, too.

A few that are about halfway there:

Paul says some “moderate Arab allies” will be overthrown by “Islamic fundamentalists.” While revolutions have come, they have not come at the hands of Islamic fundamentalists in most cases. Time will tell what governments emerge, but for this he’s perhaps half right.

China will “align itself with the Arab nations” through arm sales and political support, Paul argues. Generally the US and China end up on opposite sides of Middle East issues - particularly Libya, for example - but Paul makes this connection seem that it will be much more forward than it currently is.

“The Karzai government will fail and the United States will be forced to leave Afghanistan.” While the US is on the way out, you can’t say the Karzai government has actually “failed” - it still stands, though many critics would say it is so riven with corruption as to be largely ineffective.

“An international dollar crisis will dramatically boost interest rates in the US. Price inflation with a major economic downturn will decimate US goverment finances and exploding deficits and uncontrolled spending.” Those higher interest rates may be coming, but for now the US isn’t in a dollar crisis and interest rates are at historic lows. However, deficits have grown.

“Gold will be seen as an alternative to paper money as it returns to its historic role as money.” Gold prices have soared but it isn’t anywhere near returning to its “historic role.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Electio...All+Stories%29

[David Newman]

All he had to do is look at some trend lines since 1980 and make an assumption that things would continue.

[bhunter]

Originally Posted by David Newman

All he had to do is look at some trend lines since 1980 and make an assumption that things would continue.

Good point. Just like tomorrow's weather will be likely similar to today's. You and your economist nose needs to stick around. Yep, "amazing" was the wrong word.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by bhunter

Good point. Just like tomorrow's weather will be likely similar to today's. You and your economist nose needs to stick around. Yep, "amazing" was the wrong word.

Perhaps it's not that Paul is so smart, it's that everyone else is so stupid.

Chas

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by David Newman

All he had to do is look at some trend lines since 1980 and make an assumption that things would continue.

+1.

Dave

[Big_Bill]

Originally Posted by David Newman

All he had to do is look at some trend lines since 1980 and make an assumption that things would continue.

If that was all it would take to forecast his predictions, why hasn't everyone else done the same?

Any time that the Federal Reserve prints Trillions of dollars, and bumps them on the economy, (Stimulus Spending), inflation has to increase, and the value of our money decreases.

As for the rest, I'm surprised that he is so knowledgeable.

Bill

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Big_Bill

If that was all it would take to forecast his predictions, why hasn't everyone else done the same?

Any time that the Federal Reserve prints Trillions of dollars, and bumps them on the economy, (Stimulus Spending), inflation has to increase, and the value of our money decreases.

As for the rest, I'm surprised that he is so knowledgeable.

Bill

I explained why everyone has not done the same. As Chas said, politicians prefer to sell a dream rather than telling the unvarnished truth.

Inflation is still at a very manageable level.

http://inflationdata.com/inflation/i...tinflation.asp

[Big_Bill]

Originally Posted by finnbow

I explained why everyone has not done the same. As Chas said, politicians prefer to sell a dream rather than telling the unvarnished truth.

Inflation is still at a very manageable level.

http://inflationdata.com/inflation/i...tinflation.asp

Yes,

Inflation has been kept low the due to continued printing of dollars by the Federal Reserve Bank. But the affects of this have already driven up the prices of food, gas, utilities, etc.

Due to the continued overspending and borrowing by our Government over say the last 60 years, we are in debt clear up to our eyes.

And yes I know that we have had a balanced budget under Clinton, but we also had a 4 Trillion dollar Debt to pay off...

So if Ron Paul can save our sorry asses ? I don't know, but if we keep up as we have, you better have lots of gold and silver, because the dollar won't be worth the paper that it is printed on.

IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHER MUST PAY IN SILVER OR GOLD !

Bill

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Big_Bill

Any time that the Federal Reserve prints Trillions of dollars, and bumps them on the economy, (Stimulus Spending), inflation has to increase, and the value of our money decreases.

Originally Posted by Big_Bill

Inflation has been kept low the due to continued printing of dollars by the Federal Reserve Bank.

Which is it? These are polar opposite opinions.

[David Newman]

Originally Posted by Big_Bill

Yes,

Inflation has been kept low the due to continued printing of dollars by the Federal Reserve Bank. But the affects of this have already driven up the prices of food, gas, utilities, etc.

Due to the continued overspending and borrowing by our Government over say the last 60 years, we are in debt clear up to our eyes.

And yes I know that we have had a balanced budget under Clinton, but we also had a 4 Trillion dollar Debt to pay off...

So if Ron Paul can save our sorry asses ? I don't know, but if we keep up as we have, you better have lots of gold and silver, because the dollar won't be worth the paper that it is printed on.

IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHER MUST PAY IN SILVER OR GOLD !

Bill

Up to our eyeballs in debt that simply represents the total private sector and foreign savings in the Federal Reserve that we can continue to issue and payoff on a daily basis as we have since 1971 and can continue to do without issue forever. I've used this example before, but if you ran a bank, would you worry about allowing people to deposit too much money into a savings account? Honestly, I'd like an answer to that.