I have already made it clear that I am not much for Futuristing, however
the article America in the year 2020 (Kiyosaki 2006) is the most lopsided article written that
has a scientific, governmental hole or
just a plain bucking of economic policies that history has ever shown.
The article states that “Oil will sell for approximately $250 to $300 per
barrel and gasoline prices will be around six dollars a gallon. “ The force that is going to go
against this fact is several fold. First of all, the U.S. currently has the
largest supply of oil in Alaska, Texas and offshore than any other country in
the U.S. No one actually knows how much oil we do or do not have, this is like
the crazy times of the oil shortage in the 1970’s when cars had to line up for
gasoline on opposite days depending upon the last number of their license plate
number. In addition, solar, wind, thermal and several other types of renewable
energy are making great strides so that gasoline will not be needed. All of the
major governments are putting this into place so that the manufacturers of the
vehicles run on alternate sources of energy.
“The electric supply will become spotty and unreliable.
Infrastructure problems combined with fuel shortages will cause brownouts and blackouts during
periods of peak demand (Especially during the coldest winter nights and the
hottest summer days). In some areas scheduled blackouts may become routine.”
Whoa! What about nuclear reactors being built at record rates? What about the
fact that the average person that lives around a reactor feels safer now than
they ever did in the history of reactors?
“The US auto industry will be gone, as will the larger cars
we now enjoy. People will be buying smaller fuel-efficient Japanese and Korean
cars, the smaller the better. (Detroit simply can't compete with the Japanese
when it comes to the manufacture of reliable, fuel-efficient smaller cars.)”
Has this guy actually looked at what Ford and GM are putting out these days?
Cars that are exceeding 50 miles per gallon, cars with solar energy built into
them, cars that are fully charged by electric, not just hybrid?
This guy really should not be taken seriously at all; however there is
one prediction that he did make that is already true, “The US will become the single most hated
country in the world. US government
officials will
be unable to travel to many places overseas as they will fear
arrest for war crimes. American tourists will have to travel very carefully and
restrict their wanderings to the few countries where Americans are warmly
received.” No one can debate that statement, but then again with NATO,
all of those countries actually do WANT to be like the U.S. Even Russia has now
joined the WTO.
I guess you give a guy a pen and a piece of paper and
anyone is a writer these days.
Reference
Kiyosaki, R. (2006).
"America in the year 2020." The Hard Times Gazette.