Decade Of Change - A Statistical Analysis 1999-2009

I found this article, which is a breakdown of all of the systematic changes that have taken place inside of the United States over this past decade. One common theme that seems to stand out at first glance, IMO, is the significant decline in production and standard of living.

The changes are obvious and staggering in some cases, and for those of us who have been around and experienced these changes first hand they appear to be more real than ever.

Two things that stand out and really raise the red flag, for me at least, are the trade deficit numbers compared to pre-9/11 life. We are on a fast track to a watery grave of debt and destitution and this point would be difficult for anyone to oppose. While median income and minimum wage have sparsely changed at all, the cost of everything has skyrocketed.

On a lighter note, executive compensation has made a great and steady increase, not to mention the number of millionaires in our governmental ranks has multiplied several fold.

Welcome to the brave new world. The numbers are difficult to swallow, being that I remember what a great place this country was in good old 1999. It now seems as if it was 100 years ago, to have lived in such prosperous, less troublesome and treacherous times. Before 9/11, before the Bush co. Before the Patriot Act, the Iraq war, Gitmo, economic decline, the crashing stock markets, record foreclosures and all around general malaise.



So how bout them Cowboys?

Full Article - Yahoo News

Here are other statistics that trace the changes that took place in the last 10 years. Constant dollar calculations were made with the Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator, found at data.bls.gov...

THE UNITED STATES

Population

279,295,000 (1999); 308,150,087 (2009)

Hispanic percentage

11.7 (1999); 15.1 (2007)

Black percentage

13 (1999); 12.3 percent (2008)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

U.S. POLITICS

Registered voters

183 million (1998); 189 million (2008)

Republican governors

31 (1999); 22 (2009)

Democratic governors

17 (1999); 28 (2009)

Republican state legislators

3,442 (1999); 3,234 (2009)

Democratic state legislators

3,882 (1999); 4,073 (2009)

Female members of U.S. House of Representatives

60 (1999); 78 (2009)

Female members of the U.S. Senate

9 (1999); 17 (2009)

Openly gay U.S. members of Congress

3 (1999); 3 (2009)

Millionaires in the Senate

30 (1999); 67 (2009)

Millionaires in the House

66 (1999); 170 (2009)

Lobbyists registered with Congress

13,233 (1999); 13,426 (2009)

Members of Congress with Twitter accounts

0 (1999; Twitter was created in 2006); 210 (2009)

Average presidential approval rating (percentage)

57 (1999); 49.8 ( Dec. 10, 2009 )

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau , Roll Call, Committee for Responsive Government, Center for Responsive Politics .

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Number of federal executive branch employees

1.778 million (1999); 1.977 million (2009, estimate)

Total federal debt

$5.606 trillion (1999); $12.9 trillion (2009, estimate)

Total federal budget

$1.733 trillion (1999); $2.932 trillion (2009)

Gross tax collection by Internal Revenue Service

$1.769 trillion (1999); $2.745 trillion (2008)

Top individual tax rate:

39.6 percent (1999); 35 percent (2008)

Income subject to top tax rate

$283,150 (1999); $372,950 (2008)

In 1999 constant dollars

$283,150 (1999); $288,586 (2008)

Number of taxpayers paying top marginal tax rate

864,129 (1999); 1,060,714 (2007)

Sources: Office of Management and Budget , Internal Revenue Service , Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator

ECONOMY

Dow Jones industrial average

11,497.12 ( Dec. 31, 1999 ); 10,547.83 ( Dec. 28 )

U.S. work force

139 million (1999); 155 million (2009)

People over 65 still working

4 million (1999); 6 million (2008)

Households receiving Social Security

27.1 million (1999); 30.6 million (2008)

Number of two-income households

37.5 million (1999); 39.3 million (2008)

Unemployment rate

4.2 percent (1999); 10 percent ( November 2009 )

Jobless workers

5.7 million (1999); 15.4 million ( November 2009 )

Unemployed workers not included in jobless number because they haven't looked for work in the past month

1.1 million (1999); 2.3 million ( November 2009 )

Median household income

$44,900 (1999); $50,303 (2008)

In 1999 constant dollars

$44,900 (1999); $38,924 (2008)

Median sales price for existing homes

$138,000 (1999); $172,700 (2009)

In constant 1999 dollars

$138,000 (1999); $133,000 (2009)

Median sales price for new homes

$161,000 (1999); $212,000 (2009)

In constant 1999 dollars

$161,000 (1999); $163,265 (2009)

Number of foreclosure proceedings

450,000 (1999); 2 million (2009, estimate)

Banks seized by Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

8 (1999); 133 (through Dec. 11, 2009 )

People living below the poverty line

32.8 million in 1999; 39.8 million in 2008

Poverty line for a family of four

$17,029 (1999); $22,025 (2008)

In constant 1999 dollars

$17,029 (1999); $17,043 (2008)

Federal minimum wage (hourly)

$5.15 (1999); $7.25 (2009)

In constant 1999 dollars

$5.15 (1999); $5.58 (1999)

Value of a dollar

$1 (1999); 77 cents (2009, in constant 1999 dollars )

Top CEO salary

$569.8 million (1999, Michael Eisner , Disney Corp. ); $556.9 million (2009, Lawrence Ellison , Oracle Corp. ; $428.9 million in constant 1999 dollars )

Average CEO compensation for Fortune 500 companies

$8.4 million (1999, then the Fortune 800); $11.4 million (2009; $8.78 million in constant 1999 dollars )

Market capitalization of Exxon Mobil

$281.6 billion (2000); $353.5 billion ( Oct. 23, 2009 )

In constant 2000 dollars

$281.6 billion (2000); $281.4 billion ( Oct. 23, 2009 )

Market capitalization of Microsoft

$281.9 billion (2000); $250.2 billion ( Oct. 23, 2009 )

In constant 2000 dollars

$281.9 billion (2000); $199.2 billion ( Oct. 23, 2009 )

Estimated worth of Bill Gates , the richest American

$85 billion (1999); $50 billion (2009, $38.5 billion in constant 1999 dollars )

Value of U.S. exports

$965.88 billion (1999); $1.83 trillion (2008)

In constant 1999 dollars

$965.88 billion (1999); $1.41 trillion (2008)

Value of U.S. imports

$1.23 trillion (1999); $2.52 trillion (2008)

In constant 1999 dollars

$1.23 trillion (1999); $1.95 trillion (2008)

U.S. trade deficit

$265.09 billion (1999); $695.94 billion (2008)

In constant 1999 dollars

$265.09 billion (1999); $538.51 billion (2008)

Total trade with China (imports and exports)

$94.9 billion (1999); $296.24 billion (through October 2009 )

In constant 1999 dollars

$94.9 billion (1999); $228.14 billion (through October 2009 )

Trade deficit with China

$68.7 billion (1999); $188.5 billion (through October 2009 )

In constant 1999 dollars

$68.7 billion (1999); $145.17 billion (through October 2009 )

Total trade with European Union (exports and imports)

$354.8 billion (1999); $453.9 billion (through October 2009 )

In constant 1999 dollars

$354.8 billion (1999); $349.56 billion (through October 2009 )

Trade deficit with EU

$45.2 billion (1999); $47.7 billion (through October 2009 )

In constant 1999 dollars

$45.2 billion (1999); $36.73 billion (through October 2009 )

U.S. car and light truck sales

16.89 million (1999); 9.376 million (through November 2009 )

U.S. automakers' market share

69 percent (1999); 44.6 percent (through November 2009 )

Number of workers making cars

169,800 (1999); 88,900 ( October 2009 )

Auto manufacturing jobs by state

Michigan : 94,200 (1999); 31,100 ( October 2009 )

Ohio : 39,700 (1999); 14,600 ( October 2009 )

Kentucky : 19,800 (1999); 8,600 ( October 2009 )

Indiana : 9,000 (1999); 10,900 ( October 2009 )

Texas : 5,800 (1999); 9,300 ( October 2009 )

Alabama : 2,400 (1999); 11,000 ( October 2009 )

Sources: Interactive Data Real-Time Services, Bureau of Labor Statistics , U.S. Census Bureau , National Association of Realtors , Mortgage Bankers Association , Forbes magazine , National Automobile Dealers Association , J.D. Power and Associates , TheOnlineInvestor.com; Stern School of Business, New York University , Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. , the Department of Labor , Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator .

TECHNOLOGY

Percentage of households with land-line telephones

96 (1998); 91 (2005)

Percentage of households with cell phones

36 (1998); 71 (2005)

Factory sales of cell phones

30,667 (1999); 90,698 (2009)

Average annual household cell-service expense

$210 (2001); $606 (2007)

In constant 2001 dollars

$210 (2001); $518

Number of text messages sent in December

2.1 billion (2003); 110.4 billion (2008)

Total Internet retail sales

$5 billion (fourth quarter 1999); $32 billion (third quarter 2009)

In constant 1999 dollars

$5 billion (fourth quarter 1999); $25 billion (third quarter 2009)

Number of homes with cable TV

69 million (2000); 62 million (2006)

Number of homes with satellite TV systems

11.7 million (2000); 28 million (2007)

Average monthly cost for basic cable

$28.92 (1999); $44.28 (2008)

In constant 1999 dollars

$28.92 (1999); $34.26 (2008)

Number of AOL subscribers

18.6 million (first quarter 2000); 5.4 million (third quarter 2009)

Number of digital TVs and monitors sold

121 (1999); 35,414 (2009)

Average price of a digital monitor

$2,443 (1999); $688 (2009)

In constant 1999 dollars

$2,443 (1999); $530 (2009)

Number of personal computers sold

14,900 (1999); 27,945 (2009)

Average price of a personal computer

$1,100 (1999); $590 (2009)

In constant 1999 dollars

$1,100 (1999); $454 (2009)

Number of laptops sold

7,248 (2003); 18,738 (2009)

Average price of a laptop

$1,155 (2003); $623 (2009)

In constant 2003 dollars

$1,155 (2003); $530 (2009)

Number of satellites in orbit

623 (1999); 1,002 (2009)

Number of countries with manned space programs

2 (1999); 3 (2009)

Minutes of Skype Internet phone calls

0 (1999; Skype was founded in 2003); 3.1 billion (third quarter 2009)

Number of contributors to Wikipedia

0 (1999; Wikipedia was created in 2001); 85,000 (2009)

Number of entries on Wikipedia

0 (1999); 14 million in 260 languages (3,120,633 in English) (2009)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau , AOL , Consumer Electronics Association , Harvard Center for Astrophysics , Skype , Wikipedia, Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator .

ENVIRONMENT

Average annual estimated CO2 emissions worldwide (tons)

23.4 billion (1999); 29.9 billion (2007)

United States : 5.97 billion (1999); 6.01 billion (2007)

China : 2.91 billion (1999); 6.28 billion (2007)

Europe : 4.42 billion (1999); 4.69 billion (2007)

Average U.S. vehicle gasoline consumption in miles per gallon

27.5 (1999); 27.5 (2009)

U.S. oil consumption (barrels per day)

19.519 million (1999); 19.498 million (2008)

China oil consumption (barrels per day)

4.364 million (1999); 7.831 million (2008)

Europe oil consumption (barrels per day)

16.03 million (1999); 16.147 million (2008)

Species protected under the Endangered Species Act

1,189 (1999); 1,322 (2009)

Number of people in the world without safe drinking water

1.1 billion (2000); 884 million (2009)

Number of days of unsafe air in Los Angeles

152 (1999); 112 (2009)

Area of the Arctic ice cap (square miles)

2.48 million ( September 1999 ); 2.07 million ( September 2009 )

Sources: Department of Energy , Environmental Protection Agency

MILITARY

Number of active-duty members of the U.S. armed forces ( Army , Navy , Air Force , Marines)

1.1 million (1999); 1.4 million (2009)

Defense budget (including supplementals)

$270.5 billion (fiscal year 1999); $680 billion (fiscal year 2010)

In constant 1999 dollars

$270.5 billion (fiscal year 1999); $524 billion (fiscal year 2010)

Percentage of new recruits who graduated high school

98 (1999); 73.8 (2009)

Number of troops based in Germany

65,540 (1999); 53,960 (2009)

Number of troops based in South? Korea

36,000 (1999); 28,500 (2009)

Authorized strength of U.S. military Reserves ( National Guard and Reserves)

877,000 (1999); 847,900 (2009)

Number of troops based in the country with the largest U.S. military presence

65,540 (1999, Germany ); 115,000 ( November 2009 , Iraq )

Minimum pay for a major in the Army

$31,349 (1999); $48,322 (2009)

In constant 1999 dollars

$31,349 (1999); $37,214 (2009)

Minimum pay for a private first class in the Army

$13,417 (1999); $19,796 (2009)

In constant 1999 dollars

$13,417 (1999); $15,245 (2009)

Number of Air Force bases in the United States

72 (1999); 68 (2009)

Number of U.S. military commands

8 (1999); 10 (2009)

Number of U.S. aircraft carriers

12 (1999); 11 (2009)

Russian military spending in constant 2005 dollars

$14.04 billion (1999); $38.23 billion (2008)

Chinese military spending in constant 2005 dollars

$21.62 billion (1999); $63.4 billion (2008)

U.S. arms sales to developing countries (constant 2007 dollars )

$22.67 billion (2000); $12.16 billion (2007)

U.S. market share of arms sales (percentage)

59 (2000); 34 (2007)

China's market share of arms sales (percentage)

1.8 (2000); 9 (2007)

Sources: Department of Defense , Military Pay Chart, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute , Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator

EDUCATION

Percentage of science and engineering Ph.D.s granted by U.S. universities that went to foreigners

33 (1999); 42 (2009)

High school graduates

1.15 million (1999); 989,000 (2008)

Number of private high school students

1.278 million (1999); 1.319 million (2008)

Number of public high school students

14.638 million (1999); 15.397 million (2008)

National high school dropout rate

5 percent (1999); 3.5 percent (2007)

Number of students enrolled in four-year colleges, full and part time

11 million (1999); 9.6 million (2008)

Number of full-time students at four-year colleges

7.913 million (1999); 7.981 million (2008)

Number of African-Americans enrolled in four-year colleges

1.4 million (1999); 1 million (2008)

Number of students enrolled in two-year colleges

4.201 million (1999); 3.397 million (2008)

Enrollment in traditional black colleges

270,641 (fall 1999); 312,248 (fall 2008)

Salary and benefits of the highest paid college president

$878,222 (1999, Harry C. Payne , Williams College )

$1,598,247 (2008, Shirley Ann Jackson , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ; in constant 1999 dollars , $1,236,713 )

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau , National Center for Education Statistics , United Negro College Fund , Chronicle of Higher Education , Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator .

HEALTH

Average U.S. life expectancy

76.7 (1999); 77.9 (2007)

Men: 73.9 (1999); 75.3 (2007)

Women: 79.4 (1999); 80.4 (2007)

U.S. infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)

7.1 (1999); 6.77 (2007)

Global child mortality rate (deaths before age 5 per 1,000 live births)

87 (1999); 65 (2009)

Life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa (years)

46 (1999); 51 (2009)

Number of new AIDS cases in the U.S.

41,356 (1999); 37,041 (2007)

Number of AIDS deaths in U.S.

17,982 (1999); 14,561 (2007)

Diagnosed diabetics in the United States

11.1 million (1999); 17.9 million (2009)

Number of births to unmarried women in the U.S.

1.307 million (1999); 1.642 million (2006)

Number of Trojan condoms shipped in the United States

340.992 million (1999); 552.672 million (2009)

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , UNICEF ,

Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland , Trojan.

LIFESTYLES/MISCELLANY

Average movie ticket price

$5.08 (1999); $7.46 (2009)

In constant 1999 dollars

$5.08 (1999); $5.75 (2009)

Percentage of U.S. households that watched the top-rated television show

18.6 (1999, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"); 14.4 (2009, "American Idol")

Number of Roman Catholics

28 million (1999); 23.9 million (2007)

Number of Jews

2 million (1999); 1.7 million (2007)

Number of American homes without indoor plumbing

1.436 million (1999); 1.259 million (2007)

States that have legalized medical marijuana

5 (1999); 13 (2009)

Registered marijuana users in California

0 (1999); 37,236 (2009)

Number of states that permit same-sex marriage

0 (1999); 6 (2009)

U.S. prison inmates

2,026,596 (1999); 2,304,115 (2009)

Number of homicides in the United States

15,530 (1999); 16,272 (2008)

Number of U.S. executions

98 (1999); 51 (as of Dec. 14, 2009 )

Sources: Hollywood.com, Nielsen , U.S. Census Bureau , Marijuana Policy Project , Department of Justice , FBI, Death Penalty Information Center .

INTERNATIONAL

Number of countries on which the U.S. has imposed sanctions

9 (1999); 12 (2009)

Total U.N. peacekeeping budget

$1.3 billion (1999); $7.8 billion (2009)

In constant 1999 dollars

$1.3 billion (1999); $6.01 billion (2009)

Number of U.N. peacekeepers worldwide

18,460 (1999); 117,000 (2009)

Number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank

177,000 (1999); 300,000 (2009, estimated)

Population of Russia

146,670,000 (2000); 140,367,000 (2010 estimate)

Sources: U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations , U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs , B'Tselem, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator .

Damn, when you look at it like that, the world is pretty much going on a downward spiral. Overall, the population has gone up, and our economies way down. We suck as a planet.

There's good and bad.

Child mortality rate way down.
Life expentancy up across the board.
US is using LESS oil, even with a population increase.
Education doesn't look so good though.
Fewer graduates with a higher amount of students, yet a lower dropout rate.....wtf?
Thanks for all this info op
strnflg.

Overall there is some good in there with the bad. Technological advances have taken effect and the internet is showing to be the new world marketplace.


More folks have access to clean drinking water, infant mortality has improved.

But the economic indicators are abysmal. The number of unemployed is triple, people are having to work into their retirment years in order to survive. We are running an ongoing national debt that will cripple our economy for decades to come.

And the war machine is fatter and angrier than ever. Things are looking up if you are Chinese though, that is nice for them I guess.

reply to post by BlackOps719


If the top tax rate has decreased, yet the amount in taxes has increased dramatically, where is the difference coming from I wonder???
The middle class maybe???

[edit on 30-12-2009 by heyo]

Thats interesting, the millionaires in the senate* 30 to 67* over 10 years..how many millionaires are thier? cant be many! that tells me somethings up with who really runs congress. they trying ot become richer* at our and the worlds expense* so it seems

Fascinating read.. simply fascinating.. the economic data, it really shows how bad things have gotten.. 17.8 million people without jobs .. average income has dropped significantly in constant dollars.. just stunning..

Thanks for posting this.

heyo

Corporations: companies like Exxon pay a 50% tax on earnings.. when oil is $120 the gov makes bank.

2009 tax receipts will be much lower.. id bet 2008 was too, I think this data is using a 10yr average for some calculations, if im not mistaken. 2009 tax receipts are estimated -30% or more year over year..

I question any military spending numbers coming out of Russia and China. (That said, I question any and all numbers coming out of my own nation, the USA... so I guess it balances out in the end.)

What I'd really like to know is, if the price of everything has skyrocketed while the compensations have stagnated, and the richest haven't seen an overly exorbitant increase in either their overall numbers or their net worth, where's the money going? The extra government spending is simply being done on a debt basis, so that's not the dumping grounds for the wealth. Bill Gates, America's wealthiest man, has seen his net worth erode, so the American billionares can't be the location of the wealth dump. What's missing from this list is the international individual wealth stats. What international bankers, drug lords, and oil barons have seen their wealth escalate through the roof over the last decade, paid in full by the American consumer and tax payer being incessantly fleeced at the cash register?

Find that list and compare it to the list of Rothschilds and I'm guessing there'd be quite a few names appearing on both lists.

reply to post by Rockpuck


Well oil wasn't that high for very long. Maybe like a year. Maybe that huge increase can be attributed to shipping jobs overseas? Cost of production being reduced by having asians/etc. manufacture goods seems to be making these corporations billions. Or was there simply a tax increase for them? I find that hard to believe with bush in power.
Anyways you're partly right, and I'm just speculating, but your facts don't seem to account for such a vast increase.
Plus, I'm bumping this thread, lol. Looking at the "end product" of the government's various programs over the last ten years is a great tool imo.

reply to post by burdman30ott6


The money was being consolidated at historic levels at the corporate level.. If you look at data from the S&P (500 largest American corporations) you will see that while pay and compensation has stagnated, and in some instances, declined (as well as value of benefits in relation to costs of services) you will also noticed that corporate earnings were at all time historic levels. So in a sense, the economy was good, but because the wealth did not revolve into the consumer level of spending, the economy decapitated it's self, forming two distinct economies or Corporate and Consumer, when Consumer died due to the rising costs of goods and services (due to a weakening dollar and corporate earnings pushing goods prices higher) the corporate than collapsed.

We only recognize "Recession" and "Depression" based on the Corporate economy.. if the Corporations are healthy, and earn money, we say all it's wonderful in the land of Wall Street. Even if that means millions loose their jobs, pay gets cut, quality of life is slashed and all around are suffering a prolonged period of economic turmoil.

What I would like to know is what caused the Corporations to unanimously decide that raising pay and benefits was a bad idea? .. Across the board on the S&P compensation stagnated while earnings soared... The resulting effect: Average joes wealth increased in only two areas, their HOME and their INVESTMENTS. Naturally... both have been decimated.

Heyo:

Well oil wasn't that high for very long. Maybe like a year. Maybe that huge increase can be attributed to shipping jobs overseas?

Because of what is said above, Corporate earnings lead to higher corporate (and small business for that matter) tax receipts.. I was only using Exxon as an example, the USA has one of the highest Corporate taxes in the world (except banks, which seem to pay nearly nothing.....)

A few days ago, I remember reading about a High Speed Rail opening in China. Most of the time, people think of bullet trains, they think of France or Japan, not China.

When I read the story and knowing full well of the state of passenger rail service in the United States, I posted the following on my facebook page.

"Just goes to show you that I was born in the decline of a great country. www.huffingtonpost.com..."

It was with the headline: 'World's Fastest Train' Unveiled In China.

There was a time in this country when we didn't need cars to get to and from work. Then GM's CEO back in the 1920's realize that if he didn't remove all the Trolley Rail lines from the Major cities, his sales would remain flat.

I wondering what actually happen in the past 8 years is what similar to what happen Back then. Was it to increase sales on cheap items. Was it to keep the Rich in there place and make everyone else poor. I just wonder.

I do have hope though that in the next 10 years we'll reverse most of what took place in the past 10 years. I just have hope, thats, all.

Plus I'm unemployed right now...

WoW OP!

I guess most of these predictions published in 1961 were a bit optimistic (I had just completed my freshman year in High school).

Will Life Be Worth Living In 2,000AD ?

July 22, 1961, Weekend Magazine


What sort of life will you be living 39 years from now? Scientists have looked into the future and they can tell you. It looks as if everything will be so easy that people will probably die from sheer boredom.

You will be whisked around in monorail vehicles at 200 miles an hour and you will think nothing of taking a fortnight's holiday in outer space.

Your house will probably have air walls, and a floating roof, adjustable to the angle of the sun.

Doors will open automatically, and clothing will be put away by remote control. The heating and cooling systems will be built into the furniture and rugs.

You'll have a home control room - an electronics centre, where messages will be recorded when you're away from home. This will play back when you return, and also give you up-to-the minute world news, and transcribe your latest mail.

You'll have wall-to-wall global TV, an indoor swimming pool, TV-telephones and room-to-room TV. Press a button and you can change the décor of a room.

The status symbol of the year 2000 will be the home computer help, which will help mother tend the children, cook the meals and issue reminders of appointments.

Cooking will be in solar ovens with microwave controls. Garbage will be refrigerated, and pressed into fertiliser pellets.

Food won't be very different from 1961, but there will be a few new dishes - instant bread, sugar made from sawdust, foodless foods (minus nutritional properties), juice powders and synthetic tea and cocoa. Energy will come in tablet form.

At work, Dad will operate on a 24 hour week. The office will be air-conditioned with stimulating scents and extra oxygen - to give a physical and psychological lift.

Mail and newspapers will be reproduced instantly anywhere in the world by facsimile.

There will be machines doing the work of clerks, shorthand writers and translators. Machines will "talk" to each other.

It will be the age of press-button transportation. Rocket belts will increase a man's stride to 30 feet, and bus-type helicopters will travel along crowded air skyways. There will be moving plastic-covered pavements, individual hoppicopters, and 200 m.p.h. monorail trains operating in all large cities.

The family car will be soundless, vibrationless and self-propelled thermostatically. The engine will be smaller than a typewriter. Cars will travel overland on an 18 inch air cushion.

Railways will have one central dispatcher, who will control a whole nation's traffic. Jet trains will be guided by electronic brains.

In commercial transportation, there will be travel at 1000 m.p.h. at a penny a mile. Hypersonic passenger planes, using solid fuels, will reach any part of the world in an hour.

By the year 2020, five per cent of the world's population will have emigrated into space. Many will have visited the moon and beyond.

Our children will learn from TV, recorders and teaching machines. They will get pills to make them learn faster. We shall be healthier, too. There will be no common colds, cancer, tooth decay or mental illness.

Medically induced growth of amputated limbs will be possible. Rejuvenation will be in the middle stages of research, and people will live, healthily, to 85 or 100.

There's a lot more besides to make H.G. Wells and George Orwell sound like they're getting left behind.

And this isn't science fiction. It's science fact - futuristic ideas, conceived by imaginative young men, whose crazy-sounding schemes have got the nod from the scientists.

It's the way they think the world will live in the next century - if there's any world left!

Link

reply to post by OBE1




Hey, those fellas were spot on in a lot of their predictions. Hard for me to even fathom what men reckoned of the future back before there was any such thing as a microwave oven.


Still waiting for that 24 hour work week though, and the adjustable roof top and wall to wall world television sounds pretty cool as well.

Excellent find

Originally posted by BlackOps719
Hey, those fellas were spot on in a lot of their predictions. Hard for me to even fathom what men reckoned of the future back before there was any such thing as a microwave oven.

You're right BO...a number of hits & near misses.

I like this one: Doors will open automatically.

By the late 60's , a good percentage of my generation had even managed to visit the moon and beyond....with a little help from our chemists of course.

As I recall we were a very optimistic , idealistic , and I might even add naive society back then. New post-war technologies like , well , televisions and transistor radios had the population spellbound and starry-eyed. I remember the huge ruckus surrounding the Soviet launch of the first space satellite in 1957...Sputnik. Congresswoman Clare Luce went so far as to call the event: "An intercontinental outer-space raspberry to a decade of American pretensions that the American way of life was a gilt-edged guarantee of our national superiority".

Try saying that 10 times fast

Superiority...some things never change

This whole trip down memory lane has the old wheels turning in my brain.

How possible would it be to take a stab at predicting on the same level that these men did, and possibly getting it recorded for future dwellers to revel and gawk at?


Anyone care to take a stab at what life will be like 60 years down the road from NOW?

Be specific with your predicitions. Who knows, we may have a bonafide Leonardo Davinci type perusing this site.

I think it would be an interesting direction to turn this thread. What say you fellas?

What types of technological improvements, advances and changes do you see for our future Americans, in the year of 2070? What will the average American citizen have at their disposal 60 years down the road?

If we get enough interest perhaps we could look into some sort of a time capsule or means to store these ideas and predictions for future generations to enjoy.

And for the record, in 2070 I will be 93 years old and nursing a diaper full of joy, granted Im not worm food by then