One can’t predict the future with any accuracy, at least not beyond the most mundane of things (ie: I’m predicting that tonight, I will eat for dinner the frozen pizza I have in my freezer). Nevertheless, may, many people are convinced that folk like Nostradamus had the ability to see into the future.
A great many folk have now managed to convince themselves the world is going to end, or at least undergo a massive transformation, in 2012. These people are what I politely call “ill-informed” and unpolitely call “fucking stupid”.
A lot of this is caused by the Long Count of the Mayan Calendar, which some people believe indicates the end or transformation of the world in 2012. These people believe the Mayans had special abilities to look into the future, or some nonsense, which I notice didn’t stop them from being wiped out by the Spanish.
I cannot stress this point enough: no one knows with any certainty exactly what’s going to happen in the future, period. We can make educated guesses, sure. I can tell you that likely Barack Obama will become president and, barring some major screw-ups on his part or a very charismatic GOP candidate, will be elected to a second term in 2012. I can tell you we’re probably going back to the Moon and then onto Mars, with both happening no later than 2040. Hell, I can even tell you I believe landline phones are going to go the way of the dodo, but I could end up being wrong on all of these, and my ability to look at current events and extrapolate into the future does not mean I know what’s going to happen for a certainty.
I understand the attractiveness of being able to predict the future, of knowing what will happen before it occurs. Forewarned is forearmed, after all. But the simple fact is that it’s just not possible, and 2012 will be a year like any other, folding gradually into 2013, and then out of our conciousness. Well, at least until the next major prophecy-related year comes along.
Mind you, if I’m wrong, and the world ends in 2012, I promise to post an apology to everyone on my blog. I also expect to see some pigs fly past as I do.
