[Madpaddy]

2006: Taiwan declares independence. China invades and suffer massive casualties from US backed Taiwanese army. US carrier group attacked with tactical nuke in international waters. US retaliation kills 300 million Chinese. Chinese counterstrike mainly intercepted by US anti ballistic missile shield. Chicago and San Diego are hit with over 1 million dead.

2006-2010 Global depression as nobody can buy anything anymore because Chinese factories are gone. Global pandemic in this period wipes out 5.9 billion people but Ireland miracolously spared due to anti bacterial agent found in Guinness.

2012 Ireland wins 80 gold medals in Olympic games held in Killarney, Co. kerry. Allegations of doping are ignored.

2014: Ireland win soccer world cup.

2015: Ireland win rugby world cup.

2016: Irish doctor discovers cure for which there is no known disease.

2017: Madpaddy becomes president of the world.

[Rickenbacker]

2043 - Madpaddy kicks the bucket and people can finally get him off the blarney stone

[Madpaddy]

2043: Well that gives me reasonable innings. I'll be 71. Not a bad life span for a post peak despot.

[Daculling]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Rickenbacker', 'I') personally think the Bush administration are well aware of the issue and have some sort of emergency plan, no doubt one that will involve emergency measures greatly increasing their power, possibly suspending elections etc.
As such I doubt they would take the risk of hoping to win another election by foul means or fair, and we will see the big kick off (the initiation of the US' plan) before the end of this administration.
As I believe the next pearl harbour/911 will simple be the general chaos caused by a recession, they may attempt to accelerate the situation, no doubt blaming some external cause (global warming, terrorists, china, the UN etc.) to prevent the blame landing at their feet, and to convinve the population, who will be eager for a solution, that only they have the answer, probably giving them a pretext for some king of martial law/military action.

[Madpaddy]

I need to survive the night before my empire building can begin. My wife went to be early tonite leaving me free to raid the beer stash,

Oh sweet, sweet beer, nectar of heaven and gift from the gods.

When I'm a no show in the morning to mind the kids she's going to know and worse oh much worse - she will know I've been wasting my life away on this website again.

[DomusAlbion]

I think Jack's scenario is the most plausible scenario.

All I would add is there will be a few nukes going off randomly around the globe.

[Rickenbacker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Daculling', '
')
No way, too many armed civilins. Civil War.

[Daculling]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Rickenbacker', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Daculling', '
')
No way, too many armed civilins. Civil War.

[Chuckmak]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Rickenbacker', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Daculling', '
')
No way, too many armed civilins. Civil War.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Madpaddy', ' ')Chinese counterstrike mainly intercepted by US anti ballistic missile shield. Chicago and San Diego are hit with over 1 million dead.

[Rickenbacker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Daculling', '
')Do you think your sons will fight you when SHTF? Thats who your massivly funded fightintg force is of course.

[jupiter422]

I believe the system has become so delicate that a timeline is impossible.We have came to a point where the system is a ticking bomb,Any ,one event or series of events could make t.s.h.t.f.the probability of anyone predicting the endless amount of possiblities that could unfold are probably twice as infinite as the resource that sustains this booming population.


Never the less for entertaining reasons:: I believe the market is going to crash this fall. If that doesn't happen By 2012 the tswhhtf (the shit will have hit the fan).Things will be really bad.

I think the mayans called it pretty close...

[turmoil]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jupiter422', 'I') think the mayans called it pretty close...

[Chuckmak]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Rickenbacker', '
')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Chuckmak', '
')we got guns, yo

[Rickenbacker]

lol, saw the american footie player and assumed you must be a thuggy jock. Geek prejudices innit!

[Chuckmak]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Rickenbacker', 'l')ol, saw the american footie player and assumed you must be a thuggy jock. Geek prejudices innit!

[MagnoliaFan]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', 'T')oo pessimistic? Possibly. That depends on when peak occurs and the rate of decline. But given the present market action of oil, the growth of population, and the lack of any effort to soften the landing...I think my numbers are reasonably accurate.

[Doly]

My timescale:

- 2004: Demand outstrips supply
- 2005/2006: Peak oil. The concept of peak oil becomes mainstream. People talk about it in coffee breaks. Many middle-class people go bankrupt.
- 2006/2008: Collapse of American economy. Scandal revealing that the whole WMD issue was fabricated comes to light. The Americans go into collective shock. The ripples of this tsunami are felt in all the world. China, India, Russia and South America help each other to keep their economies afloat.
- 2008/2010: The world goes into powerdown. In some places it's tougher than others. In the USA its disastrous, there are riots on the streets of big cities. Europe does better. Resource wars in Third World countries are likely, but an all-out World War is avoided because it isn't in anybody's interest.
- 2010/2015: Things get gradually worse. There is rationing in many countries. Strong incentive to find alternative energy sources and to save energy. Roughly equivalent to WWII lifestyle in Europe.

After that, there are too many factors to make accurate predictions any more.