But before you place too much confidence in the omnipotence and omniscience of the "confederation of oligarchies" it might do well to consider that they barely have the current situation under control. In fact, it can be argued they lost it a long time ago.

Modern economies are buckling under the strains, and the promised fruits of all our new efficiency and productivity don't seem to be benefiting anybody. What's more important, none of this is a secret any longer. Any bum off the street knows he's on his own, now, not a realization you want too widespread among your work force, your customers or your legions. At least Marx gave us an evil cabal we could struggle against, the truth is that those in charge now don't seem to have a clue what is going on.

"The mutineers finally battered their way onto the bridge, only to find there was nobody there."

In the meantime, everything seems to be getting progressively entropic, the environment is degrading, the pantry is bare, toxins are accumulating in the tissues and the societal nervous system is under systematic attack by adolescent hackers and commercial pirates who appear to be remarkably successful in their depredations. Half the planet, or at least the half with all the fossil fuels, is being taken over by barbarians and religious fanatics, which the predominant Western Civilization has armed and equipped to the teeth. Don't blame me if I got it wrong, I just work here.

I've been spending my entire life trying to predict the far future with a truly spectacular lack of success. But that has taught me something. It is often possible to make judgments about the very near future with some degree of confidence. That is the period of time I concentrated on in my little list of observations above. My own future is rather limited. I'm not concerned about whether it is going to be a welfare state or an entrepreneurial paradise. I don't need to see clearly that far ahead. I just need to worry about going faster than I can see.

I'll leave the long term predictions to the young, or to those concerned about the fate of their children. I did my best to help, but no one seemed to give a shit.