Serj, remember the panic before the new millenium? When people were afraid that computers would stop working and that "the end of the world" would happen? Well i believe that it's a similar thing now. People aren't panicking yet but as 2012 will get closer, they will start to panic (just like 2000 got closer). Throughout history many times "the end of the world" was thought to happen on this or that year. Especially religious people were spreading those terrible predicitions. One time it was because of the rats that invaded Europe and their virus killing hundred thousands of people. Another time it was because of some scary natural phenomenon that people believed to be the work of God or something else. Now times changed and there are other reasons than a disease.
Now, i just watched on youtube a video of a Polish guy who predicts the future (like Michel Hayek). He said that 2009 will be a much tougher year because the crisis hasn't reached its deepest point yet. July-August 2009 will be the worst months for the world. America will be doing "wild politics", EU's Western rich countries will try to save their societies without really thinking and EU's Eastern countries will suffer much more. But hey! Who wouldn't predict that??? The crisis started not so long ago!
Also, he said that this crisis is a way to go to war. America is a dying empire that has a terrible economic state with debts up to 56 millions of $ BUT it has a fantastic army and is ahead of everyone else. Like any empire it doesn't want to lose control of the world and let China and other countries take over. There are supposed to be 3 provocations. One of them was the attack in Bombai (India). As it turned out afterwards, seemingly done by Pakistanis. Just like USA turned Iraq and Iran against each other in 1980, now it's doing the same with India and Pakistan. That attack was compared to the 9/11 attacks. For sure those who attacked were Pakistanis, just like those who attacked USA in 2001 were Arabs. But the masterminds behind it were undoubtedly the Americans and they hired a bunch of people with no future to do the job. The second provocation was done by Israel on Gaza. It was for the Israelis a test to see if Arabs would react. The third is to said to be apparently the Third World War. And by this, we all know what goes with WW3 ===> nuclear bombs. So apparently it is said that two times they will be used. One will explode in France (area of Mont Blanc - dunno why). Second is not sure where. Just like in WW2 there were 2 alliances, this time it will be the same with West vs East. Before the 2 world wars there was a financial crisis. It's inevitable i guess. Every empire was defeated by war in history.
HOWEVER, Michel Hayek said there wouldn't be a war in Lebanon in 2009. IF a WW3 will happen, then Lebanon would for sure take part in it (direct neighbor of Israel).
And also, 2 weeks ago i watched a documentary about Nostradamus on National Geographic. And i googled a bit. The oracles who believe in his work and study it said that 3197 will be the end of the world. Also, a WW3 will explode when a prophet called Mabus will come. Furthermore, there will be the colonization of space. France will be the leader of a group of countries that will make peace happen between Israel and Palestine, apparently in 2016, a peace that will last 120 years. According to Nostradamus, Iraq is supposed to be in the far future absolutely destroyed (meaning there can't be life on this land anymore). In addition, USA and Russia will go into thermonuclear war and both of them will suffer a lot.
WHAT IF we now believe in the end of the world coming soon just like prehistoric humans maybe believed in it when Ice Age came? But never came and they survived, just like we will.
In the end, my point is that it doesn't make sense to believe in what oracles say. They all say different things so who would you believe? I dunno how they can so often be more or less accurate but i don't believe them. Like Alain said, let's live day after day and do what we can do if those black days will come (run away or fight or...). We all want to have a good career and a great family. Let's hope that this nightmare won't happen.
PS: and i guess a good place to hide in during WW3 would be a country in Africa or New Zealand eventually
or Argentina
if you know spanish!