Not star gazing, not wishes but my opinion of what this year holds.
Well hope in this list.
I think and hope the new speaker of the house will be more honest, have much more regard for honesty and balance.
With real luck he/she may restore order in the house, our system leaves much to be ashamed of as Parliament looks like a drunken chook house.
I hope and believe we will see a true inquiry into the AWB, if we do not? we will have every right to feel let down.

I fear, personal debt and balance of payments will impact on us all not a rise in GST but we will pay for both.
America will not go broke but we are only at the start of lending problems, worse to come.
What do you see for 2008?
On the record as I said pre polling by the 12 month anniversary of the election Rudd will be as liked in the polls as he was that nigh.
Conservatives by then will have another leader and we will have seen at least 2 by elections as a result of former cabinet members in Howard's government leaving the house.

you are going to be 'let down', belly. everyone who hopes that politicians will run the country for the public good will always be let down. and serves you right.

the aporism goes: "cheat me once, shame on you. cheat me twice, shame on me." ozzies are cheated endlessly, and lick it up, poor sheep.

2008 will be the year that the last hold-out nations, oz and usa, admit that something must be done about global warming, and then fail to do it. the 'bellys' will feel let down. their grandkids, if they survive, will spit on their graves for letting politicians sell the future for votes.

Dear Belly,

I believe in star gazing. I believe in reaching for the stars, and I believe in sharing:

"One small sunbeam
That keeps to itself
Will never give much light;
But if it shares,
And shines through a prism,
It makes many rainbows bright."

My hopes for 2008 is that people no longer take their world for granted, but instead begin to understand the social authorship of their lives and futures, that they can become an irresistible force in history. Whether we choose to destroy our civilization or save it is a collective decision - and it is one that hopefully will be made within our lifetimes.

If more and more nuclear weapons are built, and if more sophisticated means of delivering them are devised, and if more and more nations get control of these vile devices, then we surely risk our own destruction.

If ways are found to reverse that process, then we can divert unprecedented energy and resources to the real problems that face us, including poverty, disease, overpopulation, injustice, oppression, and the devastation of our natural environment.

I can only hope and trust that our ultimate choice will be to enhance the life on the bright and lovely planet on which billions of us share our adventure.

Gday Foxy and DEMOS if my post was wishes I would ask that the west and NATO stop the murders in more than one African country.
That we spend more on peace than we do on war, that health would be for every one world wide not just share holders in a wealth creating machine.
Unfortunately we humans have lost the concerns we once had for each other.
DEMOS I share some of your views but remember the golden years of JFK and America?
Do you remember Hawk having 74% support after he won an election?
None of us can expect every thing we want, my list was as I see it , except the AWB scandal.
Australia's wheat growers ,may suffer more if the truth ever comes out, America is always willing to be a predator in world trade.
Especially farmer trade , our government may well use the very fact I believe another did.
Putting our trade in wheat before honesty.
I await predictions but slip into dreams again, would it not be great if our country lead the world in new fuels to replace petroleum?
Dream on Belly.

Hi all,

2008 - some of the biggies for me will be the US election, the Olympic Games, and the arrival of the Iphone in Oz.

And let's hope the situation in Iraq improves to the point we can get our soldiers out ... although I'm not overly confident of that happening.

And let's hope it's a better year for quality movies!

There's a good diary here of upcoming 2008 events:
http://www.news.com.au/feature/ranked/0,,5014908,00.html

Cheers -

I would have thought the subject would get a few more posts.
We are all going to be living in interesting times.
The banks moving interest rates may just be the tip of the ice berg.
We in the west are overdue for a reality check, most of Americas debt is in the hands of people who are not friends in my view.
This or any year soon could turn world finances upside down.
American elections? well I hope it is not Hillary that runs for the Democrats.
Such a great big country and in truth not much real talent on display on either side.
I hope America is about to have its first black president.