2012 ---> OFF THE CLIFF INTO THE FIRE?

by Bill Baker, J.D.
Editor and Publisher, The San Bruno Beacon

Always expect the unexpected. Those four words invite all options to the proverbial table when addressing any situation in life and make all things possible.

2012 is going to be a particularly tough year as we begin to experience the full catastrophic potential of the world’s lingering, festering problems that have defied solutions. It will be interesting to see what the world looks like on January 1, 2013.

Throughout the world, the political, social, economic and spiritual status quo is undergoing dramatic change. This change is occurring at the international, national and local levels in all countries. Change is usually the enemy of the status quo because change almost always requires that the current status quo be dismantled and replaced by a new status quo.

During 2012, the following 5 major events may create unexpected butterfly effect consequences around the world:

1). Revolutions. Right now, the growing revolution in Syria and the revolt against Putin in Russia show that government tyrants are an endangered species. The image of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi being dragged through the streets and executed in public like a rabid mad dog earlier this year shows that people's patience with and tolerance for arrogant, abusive government tyrants is wearing thin. Mr. Gaddafi met his horrific, untimely demise because, in the words of, President John F. Kennedy:

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable"

Failing, corrupt, broken status quo regimes cling to the stranglehold they have on the people they control by implementing ever stricter laws on personal freedoms and using increased levels of police state measures to suppress dissent, instill fear, control the population and turn opponents of the status quo regime against each other.  There is a direct correlation between regime fear and the use of police state mechanisms to control the population and more specifically, regime opponents. As the likelihood of regime change increases, the depth and degree of police state activities by the threatened regime, against the population it controls, increases. In most cases, this cause and effect relationship snowballs out of control resulting in a sometimes peaceful but usually violent revolution where the broken regime is replaced.

2). The U.S. and/or Israeli attack Iran? Both the U.S. and Israel have established “red lines” that will trigger military strikes against Iran when Iran’s nuclear program reaches a certain threshold. The red lines for triggering a military strike against Iran could be different. This could result in a unilateral military strike against Iran by Israel.

3). The European sovereign debt crisis continues. 2012 is going to be a make or break year for the ongoing European sovereign debt crisis. European banks have been hit hard by this crisis and in 2012 this debt crisis could ignite a deflationary spiral that will:

“.... that will hurt the sales and production of goods and services in the real economy, causing more lay-offs.”

4). $15.16 Trillion U.S. National Debt that will continue to increase in 2012. Obama wants to add another $1.2 trillion to the U.S. National Debt. When Obama was first elected President, the U.S. National Debt as a percentage of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product was 74.1%. In 2012, the U.S. National Debt will soar to approximately $16.4 trillion and exceed 100% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. During his term as President, Obama has turned the United States into a third world style police state debtor nation drowning in debt and interest payments.

5). The 2010 U.S. Election. The November 2012 U.S. Election will decide who becomes President and which ideological group(s) control(s) Congress.