Six Bloggers of the Apocalypse
Mar 18 2009
If you spend enough time surfing the Web, you might think Nouriel Roubini, the pessimistic economist profiled in the April issue of Condé Nast Portfolio, is taking a walk on the sunny side of the street. There are bloggers who have been forecasting much worse for several years.
While bankers were still ordering $1,000 bottles of wine in trendy Manhattan restaurants, these internet Sybils of the impending economic apocalypse were already prophesizing food shortages and endless gas lines.
Some are on the right side of the political spectrum, others on the far left, but they all share one thing—traffic on their sites has increased exponentially since Wall Street began to implode last fall.
We caught up with a few of the more provocative doommongers to see what they think is coming next. Hint: Before reading further, you may want to uncork your most expensive bottle of wine. You’ll need it.
Clusterfuck Nation
James Howard Kunstler
Prediction: High potential for civil unrest and violence. “It won’t be good for your health to be a conspicuous consumer.”
The Trends Research Institute
Gerald Celente
Prediction: The current economic crisis will be worse than the Great Depression, with a rise in alternative living arrangements. He’s thinking self-storage units. “People are going to self-store themselves.” FYI, Roubini’s offices just happen to be located in the same building as a Manhattan Mini Storage facility. Coincidence? You decide.
Speaking Truth to Power
Carolyn Baker
Prediction: “It’s not going to be like falling off a cliff but a slow descent with tipping points. There are going to be different kinds of Katrinas, economic crises, natural disasters, and nuclear exchanges—but I really hope I am wrong about that.”
Generational Dynamics
John Xenakis
Prediction: The misbegotten combination of the Boomers and the Gen Xers will continue to cause trouble for several more decades, leading to complete financial collapse and war before Xers are able to turn things around in their old age. Says Xenakis, “I don’t expect to live through it.”
Itulip
Eric Janszen
Prediction: The United States will, over time, right itself, but will first have to survive a period where one million folks will be added to the unemployment rolls every month by the end of 2009.
Irvine Housing Blog
Larry Roberts
Prediction: Roberts is the cockeyed optimist of our bunch. He plans to change his handle to IrvineHomeowner in 2011, when he believes the housing market will bottom out.
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