Predictions for 2006

Predictions:

• By the end of 2006, the number of US troops deployed in Iraq will be reduced by the president to less than 100,000.
• The democratic gov't of Iraq will continue to function. The army and security forces will continue to improve in quality and number. Both Iraqi oil exports and regular economy will improve at astounding rates. There will still be terrorist acts committed in Iraq, and NPR will lead their reporting with the daily death toll.
• Bird Flu will not become a pandemic. Another natural disaster, predicted in advance, will befall us -- we will not be a prepared as we could have been. The left will earnestly place 100% of the blame on GW Bush. Leading candidates: Volcanic eruption in the Pacific NW, earthquake in LA, SF or other less likely US city (SLC, St Louis, Seattle).
• 99% of all pundits will not be talking about truly significant developments in technology today that will revolutionize our live 20 years or more in the future. Leading candidates: biotech/genetic tech, nanotech material advances, data mining and internet tech.
  
• Politicians will continue to swoon over hydrogen powered cars, solar photovoltaic installations and nuclear fusion research. Hydrocars, solar electric power and fusion power plants will continue to be very economically impractical. Economically practical energy sources and novel clean tech will quietly advance. Leading candidates: Hybrid cars, Wind power, non-traditional oil.
• A major company in the computer/internet space will make a major stab at TV and movies on demand. The other majors will follow suit; Apple, Google, Microsoft. The content-owning entertainment companies will complain, complicate, and overprice all efforts ultimately hurting their own shareholders. Niche players on the internet, both legal and extra-legal, will drive the adoption curve.
  
• Everyone will ignore the social security time bomb in 2006. Ultimately, while there will be much political hay made of it during the next 20 years, the problem will be solved by the surprisingly strong growth in personal income allowing the politicians to tax the struggling, low-turnout young to pay for the wealthy, retired, high-turnout, golf set.
  

Please add any predictions you have to the comments.