Every January, I make a list of predictions for the coming year. I usually run about .500 for each year, which means that you can probably flip a coin to determine whether I’m right for each prediction. As per tradition, here are your predictions for 2008.
The biggest news item for the year will obviously be the American presidential elections. I predict a contest between Sen. Barak Obama of Illinois for the Democrats and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republicans. Their running mates will be Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, respectively. Major issues will include the economy, with emphasis on the price of oil and the collapsing dollar, civil liberties, immigration (with an emphasis on keeping Mexicans out of the country) and national security. It’s a given that the Democrats will win, though, considering the country’s leftward march of late.
Also on the topic of national politics, President George W. Bush may try to run a few dirty tactics in a last-ditch grab for power and relevance. There will be at least one more impeachment motion before Congress, which will again fail because the Democratic leadership in Congress has absolutely no spine.
The Pakistani government will erupt into open violence after the recently postponed elections there are found to be obviously rigged in the favor of the established order. By year’s end, we’ll see a civil war there that will make what’s happening in Iraq look like a peace rally. Expect interference from the Iranian and Indian governments.
The writer’s strike will continue until at least June. This doesn’t mean we’ll be going without proper election analysis, as the writers with David Letterman, "The Daily Show," and "The Colbert Report" have reportedly struck their own deals to return to work. However, don’t count on seeing the second half of "Heroes" or "Battlestar Galactica." There will also be a significant impact on the summer blockbuster scene, which will be devoid of anything worth watching.
Universal’s attempt to go it alone on video distribution will also fail, mostly because people don’t usually want to watch television shows on their computers. That said, Apple will finally allow people to burn their purchased videos to DVD in order to play them on a television. This will be a great boon for the studios that are still working with the fruit company.
In the music world, Sony will balk at ridding itself of digital restrictions management on its online downloads, even though every other major label will be offering DRM-free music downloads through every major service. Though some will complain, it won’t affect the company’s bottom line.
On a more local note, the new administration of UH System Chancellor and UH President Renu Khator will meet strong opposition from the faculty, which was not involved in the selection process. There might even be an investigation of what happened during her selection process, though that’s not as certain. It doesn’t seem likely that the faculty will ever embrace her. If she’s smart, she’ll keep her head down and out of most University business for a while. Students, of course, will remain apathetic about University administration.
The football team will suffer due to the loss of head coach Art Briles. However, a winning season is not out of the question. A bowl berth, though, is much less likely, and a bowl win is pretty much out of the picture.
Overall, 2008 won’t be a pleasant year for the University, but there is some hope in the outside world. That said, we can take some comfort in the fact that the changes and strife we’ve seen have been necessary. Perhaps 2009 will be better on account of this year’s turbulence.
