If you thought that 2011 was a bad year for the world economy, just wait until you see what happens in 2012. The U.S. and Europe are both dealing with unprecedented debt problems, the financial markets are flailing about wildly, austerity programs are being implemented all over the globe, prices on basics such as food are soaring and a lot of consumers are flat out scared right now. Many analysts now fear that a "perfect storm" could be brewing and that we could actually be headed for an economic apocalypse in 2012. Hopefully that will not happen. Hopefully our leaders can keep the global economy from completely falling apart. But right now, things don't look good. After a period of relative stability, things are starting to become unglued once again. The next major financial panic could literally happen at any time. Sadly, if we do see an economic apocalypse in 2012, it won't be the wealthy that suffer the most. It will be the poor, the unemployed, the homeless and the hungry that feel the most pain.
The following are 20 signs that we could be headed for an economic apocalypse in 2012....
#1 Back in 2008 we saw major rioting around the world due to soaring food prices, and now global food prices are on the rise again. Global food prices in July were 33 percent higher than they were one year ago. Price increases for staples such as maize (up 84 percent), sugar (up 62 percent) and wheat (up 55 percent) are absolutely devastating poverty-stricken communities all over the planet. For example, one expert is warning that 800,000 children living in the Horn of Africa could die during this current famine.
#2 The producer price index in the U.S. has increased at an annual rate of at least 7.0% for the last three months in a row. We are starting to see huge price increases all over the place. For example, Starbucks recently jacked up the price of a bag of coffee by 17 percent. If inflation keeps accelerating like this we could be facing some very serious problems by the time 2012 rolls around.
#3 The U.S. "Misery Index" (unemployment plus inflation) recently hit a 28 year high and many believe that it is going to go much, much higher.
#4 Jared Bernstein, the former chief economist for Vice President Joe Biden, says that the unemployment rate in this country will not go below 8% before the 2012 election. In fact, Bernstein says that "the most optimistic forecast would be for about eight-and-a-half percent."
#5 Working class jobs in the United States continue to disappear at an alarming rate. Back in 1967, 97 percent of men with a high school degree between the ages of 30 and 50 had jobs. Today, that figure is 76 percent.
#6 There are all kinds of indications that U.S. economic growth is about to slow down even further. For example, pre-orders for Christmas toys from China are way down this year.
#7 One recent survey found that 9 out of 10 U.S. workers do not expect their wages to keep up with the rising cost of basics such as food and gasoline over the next year.
#8 U.S. consumer confidence is now at its lowest level in 30 years.
#9 Today, an all-time record 45.8 million Americans are on food stamps. It is almost inconceivable that the largest economy on earth could have so many people dependent on the government for food.
#10 As the economy crumbles, we are also witnessing the fabric of society beginning to come apart. The recent flash mob crimes that we are starting to see all over America are just one example of this.
#11 Some desperate Americans are already stealing anything that they can get their hands on. For example, according to the American Kennel Club, dog thefts are up 32 percent this year.
#12 Small businesses all over the United States are having a really difficult time getting loans right now. Perhaps if the Federal Reserve was not paying banks not to make loans things would be different.
#13 The U.S. national debt is like a giant boulder that our economy must constantly carry around on its back, and it is growing by billions of dollars every single day. Right now the debt of the federal government is $14,592,242,215,641.90. It has gone up by nearly 4 trillion dollars since Barack Obama took office. S&P has already stripped the U.S. of its AAA credit rating, and more downgrades are certain to come if the U.S. does not get its act together.
#14 Tensions between the United States and China are rising again. A new opinion piece on chinadaily.com is calling for the Chinese government to use its holdings of U.S. debt as a "financial weapon" against the United States if the U.S. follows through with a plan to sell more arms to Taiwan. The U.S. and China are the two biggest economies in the world, so any trouble between them would mean economic trouble for the rest of the globe as well.
#15 Most state and local governments in the U.S. are deep in debt and flat broke. Many of them are slashing jobs at a feverish pace. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, state and local governments have eliminated more than half a million jobs since August 2008. UBS Investment Research is projecting that state and local governments in the U.S. will cut 450,000 more jobs by the end of 2012. How those jobs will be replaced is anyone's guess.
#16 The U.S. dollar continues to get weaker and weaker. This is renewing calls for a new global currency to be created to replace the U.S. dollar as the reserve currency of the world.
#17 The European sovereign debt crisis continues to get worse. Countries like Portugal, Italy and Greece are on the verge of an economic apocalypse. All of the financial problems in Europe are even beginning to affect the core European nations. For example, German industrial production declined by 1.1% in June. There are all kinds of signs that the economy of Europe is slowing down and is heading for a recession. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are proposing that a new "economic government" for Europe be set up to oversee this debt crisis, but nothing that the Europeans have tried so far has done much to solve things.
#18 The Federal Reserve is so desperate to bring some sort of stability to financial markets that it has stated that it will likely keep interest rates near zero all the way until mid-2013. The Federal Reserve is operating in "panic mode" almost constantly now and they are almost out of ammunition. So what is going to happen when the real trouble starts?
#19 Central banks around the world certainly seem to be preparing for something. According to the World Gold Council, central banks around the globe purchased more gold during the first half of 2011 than they did all of last year.
#20 Often perception very much influences reality. One recent survey found that 48 percent of Americans believe that it is likely that another great Depression will begin within the next 12 months. If people expect that a depression is coming and they quit spending money that actually increases the chance that an economic downturn will occur.
There is already a tremendous amount of economic pain on the streets of America, but unfortunately it looks like things may get even worse in 2012.
The once great economic machine that was handed down to us by our forefathers is falling to pieces all around us and we are in debt up to our eyeballs. The consequences of our bad economic decisions are hurting some of the most vulnerable members of our society the most.
As the following video shows, large numbers of formerly middle class Americans are now living in their cars or sleeping in the streets....
It is a crying shame what is happening out there on the streets of America today.
Please say a prayer for all of those that are sleeping in cars or tents or under bridges tonight.
Soon even more Americans will be joining them.
I think that we all need to stop pointing fingers here and worry about the now. These people that are out on the streets/homeless may end up being your/our survival key if things do take a turn for the worst. Be thankful for what you have, as 2012 nears, that may change. And those who make alot of money, stop bickering and stop rubbing it in. Because you could very well be just like those who are out there trying to survive with no means of resources. And live in tents/cars and the streets. You can say, oh that won’t be me, but how can you know for sure.
May be a mistake retiring from the bench due to our financial conditions but with crime going up, I could have stayed on the bench because I was making good money here in Rockville, Maryland and in Montgomery County. I had to retire due to my heart condition since I used to smoke and I smoked cigarettes for over 58 years and my doctor told me that the cigarettes that I bought needed to be tossed in the trash. He said that they will “end your career and put you in the grave” so I gave up smoking this past October. I had an ex-ray and my lungs are clean so far. God has saved my life, looking at it in retrospect. I may have to go back to active duty to deal with the rising crime in the local neighborhoods. We have a good police department here in Montgomery County, Maryland and it helps me as a Circuit Court Judge in courtroom three in the Judicial Center on Monroe Street right here in the Rockville district. I was making good money as a judge and I feel that I am healthy enough to go back to work as a judge!
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Until times get better do everything you can to take care of yourself and your family..Get prepared as much as possible…Harder times might be coming so stop crying and just think and do it !! A lot of people don’t have enough money to stock up…just do one or two cans at a time..figure out ways to make more with what you have,trade,work for things not money do whatever to prepare…sell things you really don’t need and get ready for another day that will make NOW look like a picnic. EVERYONE has been warning us the next year or two are going to be worse…even if it isn’t you are ready and there is comfort in knowing you have some back up for your family. People don’t rely on others they wont be there GET UP and help yourself and THINK and PREPARE..If you don’t think and help your self…WHY do you expect anyone else to HELP YOU…they have families too and they thought of them first…WAKE UP AMERICA IT IS GOING TO GET A LOT WORSE !!
If anything the people in the so called West/ Developed etc have never realized how enslaved they are, how their leaders and systems are dictatorial. Very people in these countries know this. They have been mind controlled and made to think that they live a better life than in the third world, This is the reason why the media deliberately portrays nothing good about Africa.
Just a few years back IMF and world Bank was busy imposing funny policies on Africa and Asia and left people poorer. Its time for the West to pay for the sin. The people all over the world should wake up and overthrow that small clique of capitalists causing all these problems. The solution is not privatization but we need a state control in parallel
Falling giant asteroids to whack this planet if man would survive a Great Depression in 2012, I mean this 20 signs is obviously designed for a book and movie titled “Crap 20 2012″ produced by none other than the doomsayer himself, Michael Moore.It’s amazing how a little machine called TV can make a good number of Americans act completely dumb, misinformed. REMEMBER THIS: Might Makes Things Right ! MIGHTY AMERICA KNOWS, RELAX !
Capitalism is going to end. It was systemically flawed from the start.
When oil prices start to rise again, the world will plunge into collapse thats if the EU doesnt fall first.
We need to move foward. As a planet and move past money as system for the distribution of resources, we need to live sustainbly on this planet.
Visit http://www.Thezeitgeistmovement.org
This is a group devoted to educating the world on how we can live without money. Too much to explain here. Check the orientation guide on the site out.
What lack of Financial Education does to people.
This is the time for Indonesia. To Rise.
Just wait.
Now our country has 6.7% economic growth 2011.
Time will come when Indonesia shall rose and have competition against China and Japan.
Just wait there
. Come to Indonesia,
many young rich people is offspring.
We have great nature for us.
Foods price is almost not increase here for 3 years..
Even now.. I here in Indonesia could feel.
1/2 $ for foods here plus Tea drink.
Can not be less right?
.
Why don’t you come here to Indonesia, though not very safe compared to US but we are undoubtedly is one of the best growing country.
So, what do you want to be, another empire, super-power, megalomaniac, billionaire scumbag.
Get real you simple minded fool.
The best solution to solving the planet’s woes is to divest itself of morons like you.
Economic development, wealth generation, technology, consumerism, advertising, tourism has not achieved anything more than a degraded planet, mountains of toxic waste, soil degradation, obesity, wildlife decimation, crashing fisheries, polluted water resources, crashing fisheries, climate change and religious extremism.
Wake up you stupid fool.
Whatever you do, please do not breed.
I’m not impress the way apocalypse 2012 has been narrated.It merely stated bad facts happened in the past but skip the good things happened.It did not mentioned that people around the world are struggling to change the rotting current political and economic systems,like founding organizations-INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE OF PEOPLES STRUGGLE(ILPS),GLOBAL FORUM OF MIGRANTS and many others in each country.Before APOCALYPSE 2012 happen the present world political and economic system would have been changed to socialism or any system that would offer prosperous life to people of the world.
this is all fault of secret society the ILLUMINATI..THEY CONTROLLED EVERYTHING in this world the President of the America was on puppet the was not come to him but from the Illuminati group.
What can Americans do to fight the New World Order Repression right here in the U.S.?
1. Turn off your T.V. (Better yet,throw it away)
2. Think for yourself.
3. Question all so-called ‘Authority’(Especially big banks, big oil, big weapons manufacturers, big government, multinational corporate interests, big media, and anything you were taught in school)!
4. Get out, and/or stay out, of debt! (Try to not charge for things that you can just as easily pay for, with cash)
5. Use cash as much as possible,rather than debit cards and/or credit cards, which allow companies to track what you are buying, and where you are buying.
6. Get rid of grocery store ‘discount’ cards – grocery stores provide this information to insurance companies.
7. Bank at a Credit Union, or any alternative to the ‘Too-Big-To-Fail’ Banks, that participated in the 2008 Banker Bailout. Don’t do business with ‘the Beast’.
8. Invest as much as you reasonably can in precious metals – especially silver, and gold.
9. You have the right to own a firearm, to protect yourself, and your family. Read the 2nd Amendment.
10. Buy products that indicate “Made in America”– whenever possible. You’d be surprised to find out how many necessary, practical, every day products are still “Made in America”!
11. Buy food at a local Farmer’s Market
12. Start your own garden
13. Meditate – reduce your stress!
14. Get exercise!
15. Read a book (here is an excellent book to read: Psychological Warfare and the New World Order: The Secret War Against the American People http://www.amazon.com/Psychological-Warfare-New-World-Order/dp/0932367232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310394551&sr=8-1 )
16. Listen to soothing classical, jazz, ambient, or alternative music
17. Watch ‘Freedom to Fascism’– a film by Aaron Russo (can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUpZhhbKUBo)
18. Watch ‘Why We Fight’–a film by Eugene Jarecki(can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…r_embedded)
19. Watch ‘Endgame’– a film by Alex Jones (can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-CrNlilZho)
20. Below is advice from John Perkins’ book, entitled THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE (The Truth About Economic Hit Men, Jackals, And How To Change The World), pp. 322-329. “AVOID SHOPPING AS ‘RETAIL THERAPY’
(Instead,jog,meditate,read,or find some other solution).
SHOP CONSCIOUSLY – if there is something you must have, purchase items whose packaging, ingredients, and methods of production are sustainable and support life.
MAKE EVERYTHING YOU OWN LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE
PURCHASE AT CONSIGNMENT AND THRIFT STORES – where everything is recycled.
Write letters telling Monsanto, De Beers, Exxon Mobil, Adidas, Ford, GE, Coca-Cola, WALMART, and other labor exploiters and environment destroyers why you refuse to purchase from them.
CUT BACK ON OIL AND GAS CONSUMPTION!
DOWNSIZE (your car, home, wardrobe) – everything in your life (and don’t buy what you don’t need)
SUPPORT/SEND MONEY only to non-profits, radio stations, and other organizations that promote JUST causes.
VOLUNTEER your time and energy to such organizations.
SUPPORT LOCAL MERCHANTS
ENCOURAGE stores to buy from local growers, producers, and suppliers.
Shop at your local FARMER’S MARKET
AVOID DRINKING WATER THAT IS FLUORIDATED (only your toothpaste should have non-industrial fluoride)
INSIST that those who use your money – banks, pensions, mutual funds, companies – make socially and environmentally responsible investments.” (End quote)
21. Better yet – invest in precious metals (silver/gold).
22. Research every company whose products or services you buy
23. Research every organization to which you donate your hard-earned money
24. Vote with your dollars!
25. Watch ‘The Secret of Oz’– a film by William T. Still (can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swkq2E8mswI)
26. Get prepared for when the U.S. dollar TOTALLY COLLAPSES, and loses it’s place, as the world’s sole reserve currency. The ‘globalists’(European Central Bankers, like the Rothschilds, and the Rockefellers, as well) are planning to reduce the American Middle Class to the status of the Third World poor. That is, they are going to wipe out the American ‘Middle Class’. That is why they shipped our jobs overseas. That is why they engineered the current economic ‘downturn’. That is why no bankers have gone to jail, over their financial crimes – they are immune. There is no ‘justice’ in their ‘just us’ system. It is owned, and operated by European Central Bankers, and their Allies in London,in Frankfurt, and on Wall St.
27. Did I mention invest in silver (and gold)?
28. Global, non-violent, NON-COMPLIANCE is the answer, of We the Plebs, to the ‘elite’ New World Order!
29. Find alternatives to EVERYTHING that they’ve set up,to entrap you in THEIR system. (Become a serious ‘prepper’)
30. What would happen if 200 MILLION AMERICANS refused to pay their taxes,in 2012? (Just a hypothetical question)
31. Familiarize yourself with the concept of BOYCOTT
32. Corporate Membership in the CFR (Council on Foreign Relations):
http://www.cfr.org/about/corporate/roster.html
33. Don’t ever join a ‘secret’society. Expand the above list,and share it with everyone you know!
What he said………^^^^^^^^^
Bravo! America is waking up!
Number 10? Where? Name ONE thing that is still made in America? Can’t name one? Thought so.
If you go to ANY store (unless it’s a used antique store) there is NO items made in America left.
Actually, Sears still sells a ton of stuff that is solely made in America. The entire Craftsman line of tools, power equipment, etc. is made in America… Look it up…
First may I say, LOL Oh, Really? For 1, turning off your TV obviously doesn’t preclude moderate to heavy internet use including being a patron/fan of blogging.
1-4, 7-13 yes, 5 and 6? That’s just paranoia, are you really afraid of anonym-ized data being provided to companies so that they can more efficiently provide products to meet demand, and target appropriate advertising? I see a possible problem if these companies were to be owned by major corporations focused on phasing out American products.
28 ?!?
So, before I review the rest, here is what I see as a realistic plan of action. personal economic Asceticism. America has become culturally adapted to getting what we want. And we want too much, and culturally are unwilling to adapt.
1. Seriously would you be willing to stop using toilet paper in favor of a bidet (for those unfamiliar its a water spout used to clean… ahem)
2. What about the minimum wage? Want to know why “Made in America” isn’t seen everywhere? We expect to be paid nearly ten times as much for the labor we perform as an individual in China would. Hence the economic (and perhaps right choice) would be to move the manufacturing jobs to where they will be done at the cost of what they are worth. Willing to part with your guaranteed higher wage to get product manufacturing back in America.
2a. And why is the minimum wage so high? Cost of Living in America, which is based off of realistic expectations of electricity and fuel usage to create, package, and run our toys.
Think about it a little, companies spend millions to determine what to put on your cereal box, how to package it to most entice you to buy it. This goes for all packaging, if you buy a pencil, it comes in plastic, attached with adhesive to a cardboard backing done in brightly colored industrial inks. Then all of that is disposed of (read trashed, recycled, whatever…) Now, take just a second to think about the necessary factory space needed to mass produce each of these components.
The proportion of packaging to product is ridiculous. The only legitimate use of packaging? Preservation of product, and prevention of tampering. So why not create higher standards of tampering prevention for distribution points for non-perishables and make individual advertisement purposed packaging illegal. Force the companies to re-imagine how they sell something and do it more efficiently.
The point of all this is that as a mass of individuals in America we have set unrealistic expectations originating in the optimistic capitalism from the 50′s to the 90′s.
So by all means cut back on everything you don’t need. Re-purpose everything you can. Insist on economic responsibility from all levels of government, from personal, to municipal, federal, to global and any other form of governance in between.
And be prepared for the economic collapse. Anyone who’s been to a Black Friday sale knows that the general public is not capable of letting go of petty wants.
On Mark Patriots comments, Amen. Ron Paul? If you believe he has any realistic shot in this political business (complete with product placement and testimonials) then bravo to you. I have been following Mitt Romney’s campaign, and his political marketers… I mean supporters have caught on to the strategy that won Obama the last election. That is… treating the President as a marketable product. Realistically I believe he will be the end product of the GOP. It will take an economic collapse as devastating as the 1st Great Depression to shock the system of each individual to a wary, thinking state.
A thought before I go, what we could really use is a law limiting the amount of candidates a political party can submit for office in the house or senate to a non-majority number, removing the capacity of a “Party” to control the legislative force of the nation. In other words, the parties would be forced to work together to get any law passed. Unfortunately this is unworkable because we would basically end up with Republican party A, party B, etc. and Democrat party A, B, etc.
The only countries left in 2011 without a Central Bank owned by the Rothschild Family are:
Cuba
North Korea
Iran
Wow people, are you for real? What we all need to the industry come back to the US. We can not expect the economic recovery if we keep buying things from China and loosing jobs in US.
Companies who is willing to set up manufacturing in US should be given huge tax breaks and companies who choose to produce elsewhere should be triple taxed.
Capitalism is the only natural way that is proven to work. Look at what happened to Russian socialism. It did not worked anywhere it was tried.
Problem is, people just blogging and no one will do anything productive.
Then what are you doing now on this blog? Get out and build a factory!
Bilderberg group,Trilateral commission, Federal Reserve. Eliminate or slow down these groups and we might have a chance. And if we do not, well life as we know it is just about over.
Imagine that every where there is concrete and roads were edible foods instead. People would not be fighting to survive but eating to survive.
Sadly, now has enough time passed to proove that money and econmics is not what we really need?
Its only been thousands of years but money still seems to be of the most important intrest to many leaders. How about the UN looks at that image out side its front door of a man beating a sword into a plowshear and actualy act on those words. Perhaps not i think! People, good luck to all of you, i do hope you all find your way, Always be a good person and do good no matter what challenges face you!
Lots of confusion that is the way those who wish to destroy America want it. Plain and simple the whole concept of The United States of America has been hate by the Oligarchy since the start. Any wonder the British Royal family still refers to the USA as its wayward colony (only in private of course)? The world is run by a financier oligarchy that dates back to the Roman empire and its appendages through the course of history. They believe that the priviliged few ar born to rule and the rest of us are nothing but human cattle ment to serve them. When we become too numerous we die. A major tenet of these oligarch assholes is that the world population should be reduced from the current 6.5 billion to less then 1 billion including reducing the US to less then 50-mil. And on’t take any comfort in the fact that you might be left standing after the slaughter because you will only be an indentured survant to the oligarchy.We the people have the power to destroy the oligarchy with a few simple steps read below.
1. re-enact Glass Steagal banking law
2. Establish new Bretton Woods fixed exchange rate agrement with gold reserver system.
3. Abolish Federal reserve system and outlaw all financial derivitives.
4. Establish mechanisms to fund great projects that will add at least 40-million new high paying jobs in the US such as national high speed rail, one for one doubling of the existing fleet of nuclear power plants, build in conjuction with Canada and Mexico the NAWAPA (North American Water and Power Alliance), Major program to rebuild the nations dams,and waterways,sewege treatment and other important water infrastructure.
5. Make sure Ron Paul becomes the Republican nominee for president in 2012 and also replace Obama with a real choice such as Senator James Webb or former senator Russ Fiengold to run in his place. Then whoever wins will be a win for America and the world.
God speed to all and God Bless America!
Amen to number 4! I feel like we are living in a bad movie.
I suggest that if you can’t afford it – don’t buy it. And if you’re in debt, start implementing that cash is king! Try to borrow from friends and family first and pay them interest – why pay interest to banks? If you’re in heavy debt arrange for debt settlement, if severe, declare bankruptcy and walk away. – And start small all over again!
If we all did that, we can disable the banks, the economies, and every government. They key is that the consumer has to realize his/her collective power with the mass. Our artificial economies are designed to the enslave the middle class with easy credit and heavy taxes.
Stay away from the doctors and drugs, stay in shape, and eat right. Leave unions that encourage laziness, and stop working for an employer that doesn’t even know you. Stop religion thumping while building bomb shelters in your backyards and stay away from guns. Loose your patriotic hatred and give with compassion to those you can help around you. Stop buying things you don’t need and save it to pay off more debts. Economic collapse is necessary especially in all the big global economies if we want a better planet. Most of our global society has been starving, and finally all the economic giants are drowning in their own debt and interest. Cry me a river big economy babies and stop believing in absurd statements like “God Bless America”. How does ramble like this possibly offer a solution to the situation? Hope is not an option for the sane. Work towards and imagine a debt free middle class…where would the economy be then?
Realize that you can’t eat money and natural resources…It’s food and water we all need, and spending time with our children.
With money problems, the jails, prisons and penitentiaries will be overcrowded and the corrections department staff will be in danger due to being short staffed and inmate populations expanding. The staff on duty, the more likely that some inmates will create an uprising and overpower the staff. As a judge, I had to deal with issues beyond human comprehension but this is the tip of the iceberg as to what is to come in the near future.
Look!! All of you rant an rave about this! In realality it comes down to one question? Why? Did so many of you foolish Americans vote for Obama? This is what happens when you put someone in office who hates our country and hass the traits of the anti-Christ!! Way to go America!! Way to go…
if the economy does crash you city slickers er all ************** all the well survive in cutnshoot texas
most of the comments written truly exhibited the limited grammatical skills have in this day and age.
I agree we are headed down a path to ultimate economic collapse.
the national debt is so high that I doubt we pay enough taxes to pay the interest on the treasury bonds issued.
Our politicians have allowed all are manufacturing and service related jobs to go to the Far East and India.
The thing I find funny is when no one is making money in the U.S.A. it doesn’t really matter how cheaply you can produce it, it still won’t sell.
I truly find it heart wrenching the people on the streets who once proudly worked jobs and had a house and cars in the U.S.
Thanks so much for the computer technology age which hastened our demise that much faster.
Global economy “my ass”!
Don’t throw stones if you live in a glass house. You talk about grammatical errors; look at your first and fourth sentences (not counting capitalization errors). That said, I am sure I have made a few. So let us not belittle others but talk about the issue(s) at hand.
I agree with what you have said except for the age of computer technology bringing about doom. There is no doubt (at least in my mind and also many scientists) that the world will be hit by an asteroid or comet large enough to cause an extinction event. The time of the event is not known. Just a few years ago one passed between the earth and the moon. The scary thought is that it was not seen until about 3 days prior to when it would have impacted, had it been on a course to do so. So when they say 60% of the solor bodies have been cataloged I challenge them. If I take x number of buckets of sand and pebbles and scatter them in a 5 acre field how can they determine the percentage they will find when they do not know the x factor.
My point is that humans need to get off this planet and start colonizing other planets and moons in our solar system and eventually in other galaxies and beyond. If we do not then span of human existance will be fairly short; in cosmic terms anyhow.
To other points made by others I hope we will have learned what is really important prior to starting our exploration.
Cheers
Lord, help us to remember to help those who are less fortunate than we are at this time!