This is the hardest section for me to write for I think of all the innocent people that are going to suffer or die in the upcoming wars. Mainly, the children that will have their unconditional love and young lives snuffed out without the power to change what will be happening around them. Adults can raise a voice to their leaders, vote or revolt or flee with their families to safer havens. Children have no such options. And for them, my heart will break.

As I've mentioned in other sections, countries will form protectionist power alliances not only along economic lines but militarily as well. When the full effect of war disruptions become apparent and aggressor countries realize that their enemies and NATO are all crippled with military infra-structure demands, they will seize on the opportunity to settle old scores or gain some ground and control. Picture the Los Angeles riots when the populace knew that the police weren't going to show up and they realized they had a window of opportunity to get what they wanted. That's a snap shot of the world within the next few years.

This planet is filled with madmen in power who harbour religious hatreds, territorial and material envy or are just completely mad for more power and control. Players who seek out weaknesses in their opponents to exploit and gain advantage. What's troubling to me is that they can incite others to do their dirty work. They can persuade their people to commit the most heinous of crimes against their fellow man in the name of some manufactured sacrosanct cause. And people will go along with it because it's the 'new' reality and even feel quite self-rightous about the bloodshed! In other words, mass insanity. The people imbrace the insanity of their leaders and the general agreement makes it right.

Hitler did it in Germany. Stalin in Russia. Mao in China. Hussan in Irag and lately the Kwanda massacre where one half of the population rose up at the urging of their leaders to kill the other half. Except for the Hutu's, those cultures above were educated and 'modern' for their day.

China will start to become a worrisome aggressor in the new year. They will mobilize their million-plus man army to take over disputed territiories and neighboring Asian countries ( read China -Near Future). I expect them to claim the disputed islands and create power alliances with all other Asian countries except Japan. The Chinese hate the Japanese ever since the occupation of World War II. Russia and the Balkans will go insane with war. There will be so many battles between so many tribes that the US, the UN and NATO will simply wait till the dust settles. The United States, although the lead country in NATO, will withdraw from involvement in conflicts that cannot be clearly demonstrated to impact the US.

Now the most difficult prediction for me to write. The Middle East will explode into massive warfare much like the Balkans, except that it will indeed, explode. I see India and Pakistan escalating their age-old hatred into first a war using conventional battlefield arms in April. There will be a communications screw-up between the Indian political leaders and the military leaders resulting in India launching their nuclear missles against Pakistan in October.2002. At least, that will be the official explanation to the world for their action. Most of Pakistan's population will be wiped out and what little is left will be in very sorry shape. The international community will run to their aid once the rads go down with India being very apologitic and the most generous. East Indians will be the most hated in the world in every country not unlike the German's were after the Second World War. Many will be attacked on the streets in many countries.

I predict Jihad being generally accepted within the Muslim population in the Middle East that's set off by massive deaths and suffering brought on by war. The West will be blamed for destroying their water and oil pipelines and wells. There will be many tribal wars there, much like the Balkans, with conflicts between Western thought, old religious\ political values and the Royal family members. NATO will try to stay involved due to the oil fields there but the leadership of Mid-East countries will change very rapidly. Some weekly!

Along with North America, the African continent will be one of the only large areas in the world where wars won't be happening. The toll of AIDS will thwart many wars from going very large scale there. Too many people sick, dying and dead to fight. Those healthy are afraid to travel far from home anyway. The world will be asked to adopt the children as the grandparents are dying (they're taking care of the orphans now) and many households will be run by young teens. The world will abandon Africa for a while but we'll all be in for an amazing surprize in about three years.

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