I have been reading this site for some time now. I finally decided to join. I also was watching this post some time ago and decided to bookmark it. There have been no replies to anything here in a couple of months.
Kano makes a point in that some people are turning JT into a Nostradamus type of person or religion. I do think that OMD makes some good points also tho. Whether or not he was real or not...(I am still undecided) I am keeping an open mind. His civil war prediction if you read carefully culminates with a massive nuclear war around 2013 if I am recalling correctly. From his perspective it is entirely possible that he was taught that the Civil war he speaks of may have started over the political climate.
The original civil war started over slavery. It is said that is the issue that sparked the civil war and that it gradually got worse to the point of states seceding from the union. (these things were issues in the 1840s)
Also I have a hard time believing that he guessed this:
www.newstarget.com...
The article seems to refute the mad cow disease mass deaths but also adds a certain credence to it. And considering how easy it actually is to import meat into the US (I worked at an Argentine supermarket that did this they love beef as much as or more than we do in the US) I would not be surprised that infected meat has made it in. Considering the current administration's interest in big business and industry and their willingness to protect them I am not surprised if things like this are covered up.
It is bits like these that make me question whether he was the real deal or not. But then there are the things Kano has mentioned like the picture. The picture does look like a fiber optic cable to me. Also if gravity was that strong how the hell was the person in the picture able to survive that and look so relaxed. But then we are applying today's science to tommorrow. So we honestly don't know at this point. JT repeatedly mentioned we can choose to believe him or not and what does it matter if we do. What will we do to change the situation to prevent what he says to come to pass. He may have been a futurist en.wikipedia.org...
If so he has a serious future
This item of information www.npr.org...
along with my previous link again make me question if he was fake.
But then I read something about him actually travelling back to something other than his objective. That makes no sense. He gets to 2000 with the intent of informing people for personal reasons. That alone is a major flag. He was/is/will be on a mission to get a computer that can no longer be found in his time.
I found the economic points invalid however (no disrespect there Kano) It is possible to have multiple systems of economy in one society. It happens in south america and alot of third world contries today. The communal system of living is not too far fetched along with a "capitalist" society.
The one thread I have noticed is that people assume that civil war means guns and fighting. It does lead to that. It usually starts with a major social issue then escalates to civil war. There may be an event of note in his period that to us is currently irrelevant. It is possible this may come out in the future and be the spark that ignites the flame. I honestly do not know. At this point all we can do is wait and see.
I am not going to be too quick to write him off as a hoax but I am not about to take everything at face value either. Time is both against JT and for him at this point. It needs to be looked at objectively. The whole American union thing is interesting because there are articles on the net discussing that topic now. This was anothe rmajor point he made. Possibly a safe bet prediction tho based on current events of the time. We will see. Hopefully in 2008 we will see more or less and put this to bed. Thanks for reading all this
. I just do't see it happening. The only thing that might move any group of people to rebel
in an organized movement would be if someone took away their TV, beer and football. 
