apocalypse, pretty soon.

Posting mega doom predictor Gerald Celente rather blindly yesterday got me thinking. I posted his apocalyptic predictions because:

A. There is a certain sick fun in doom and gloom.

and

B. Sociologically "end times" thinking fascinates me. The name of this blog is a small tribute to my interest. I believe in narratives as motivators. We make decisions based on stories we've bought into. "America is an exception" is a particularly strong narrative point that in some ways I buy into. But not all.

Most of us never hear the larger narrative or express much interest in it.

The end times narrative in Western Christian Culture is deeply rooted. This world we know will end. Either God will smote the bad people and save a few good ones or mankind, unable to control its greed and envy, will destroy us all.

As with the whole sale dismissal of all "conspiracy" - end times thought is dismissed at our peril. The loons and the sane both have end times stories churning out there now. The loons inform us about their lunacy - and therefore ourselves. (UFO sightings are worldwide - but "alien abduction" is overwhelmingly an American phenomenon. There is a real sociological goldmine in that little tid bit. )

The smarter ones who see grim tidings everywhere should be given at least some of our attention.

I find people like Celente fascinating. Peter Schiff too- he is largely saying the same thing about the economy. As I've said before the saner Peak Oilers have an imperfect - but pretty good record. Housing collapse, Financial downturn, the long term foolishness of suburbia, and the dangers of an overstretched food delivery system are all prescient.

On a subconscious level the "end times narrative" is playing out in reality. We ARE pushing the envelope. Creating money out of thin air. Spending like drunken sailors in a casino. Polluting with abandon. We have, in essence, ditched our children by the side of the road. Gun sales are through the roof and that financial wiz kid down the road may be a secret survivalist. We really are near the breaking point. The "end time" of something - if not exactly everything.

So I went searching for counterpoints to Celente - proof that he was wrong. To my surprise what I found was denial. I grant you it was not a deep search. One post from last November struck me. On November 15 Dan Tynan posted a dissection of Celente in order to peg him a quack.

Here are some of the points he made that he says prove Celente wrong.

Just last November Tynan openly mocked this Celente prediction:

"It's going to be very bleak. Very sad. And there is going to be a lot of homeless, the likes of which we have never seen before. Tent cities are already sprouting up around the country and we're going to see many more.”

Two days ago the Governor of California opened up state land to a burgeoning "Tent city". People are losing homes at rates not seen since the 30s.

More Tynan mocking of Celente who predicted that in the 21st century:

Voluntary simplicity, once merely a counterculture ideal, will finally become a reality in the twenty-first century. Moderation, self-discipline, and spiritual growth will be the personal goals of the future, not material accumulation.

It seems like Celente is correct here - not foolish. Millions are cutting back. Simplifying. I am. Everyone I know well is.

Celente predicts and Tynan mocks this:

The trend to convert lawns into gardens will have a significant impact not only on the way we eat but also on how we live and feel. Billions of dollars formerly spent on lawn care will either be saved or re-deployed into producing fresh food.

Michelle Obama recently converted a part of the White House grounds into a vegetable garden. Regardless of her motivation - this trend is REAL. And will pick up. The localization movement is expanding everywhere.

How about this:

The public is going to demand that the government break up powerful corporate monopolies.

Nothing about that sentence rings false or off base. The move to "never allow a company to become to big to fail" again is a slightly revised version of Celente's statement.

There are minor predictions as well. None of much interest to me. The fashion industry is doomed. (God willing), Latin influence on pop culture will increase...demographics say yes...

The thing about Celente that is most disturbing is that his predictions make sense. Common sense. To believe we are not on a runaway financial train at this point is to believe in the tooth fairy. There will be consequences. As dire as Celente says? Who knows. But we have not seen the end of this financial mess - by a long, long, shot

His thoughts certainly make more sense than printing a few trillion dollars and hoping inflation doesn't take hold. Which, though I am not an economist, seems completely nonsensical.

Does the world end on December 21st, 2012? (I do wish the Mayans had given us a specific time so I could schedule my Christmas haircut.)

No.

Will X number of believers be whisked off into the sky to be with Jesus...

Uh no.

(And WOW are they in for a surprise when they're handed a sandbag or a hoe and told to stop whining and get to work. )

But fundamental narratives that many assumed would last forever are being challenged. This will feel like the "end times" for many.