Prophecy is only valuable if it presents opportunity for change.  Absolutes are for the cynical, for those who presume their destiny is predetermined.  Free will suggests we have something to say about our life.  In the tradition of ancient Bible Prophets we will offer some conditional prophecy for 2009:

1. If we reward failure, failure will be considered success.
2. If we bomb other cities and kill innocent people then their friends and relatives will not like us very much.
3. People who are mad at us for killing their families will do something mean and awful to us. (see prophecy #1).
4. If we regularly beat our children they will become confused about the use of power.
5. If a person grows up in an abusive home they will become abusive.(see prophecy #3).
6. If leaders of countries consistently ignore the will of their people they will have low poll numbers.
7. If a leader is not running for reelection then he will not care about low poll numbers.
8. If we drive mechanized vehicles while intoxicated with drugs we will threaten the lives of others.
9. If an intoxicated person drives their vehicle into ours at a high rate of speed then anyone and everyone in the collision might be killed.
10. If a person chooses to drive while intoxicated then God will not stop them.
11. If we act out of anger we will piss people off. (see prophecy #1).
12. If we seek vengeance we will receive vengeance.(see prophecy #2).
13. If we do things that other people do not agree with then other people will not agree with us.
14. If we worry more about Congressional Law than we worry about human suffering then we will have more Laws and more human suffering.
15. If society does not offer health care to fellow citizens then fellow citizens will have higher mortality rates.
16. If we do not maintain bridges over rivers then the bridges will fall down.
17. If we rescue misguided leaders with arguments of patriotism then the leaders will feel justified.
18. If big money wins elections then big money will run the country.
19. If we do not educate all children equally then future adults will not be educated equally.
20. If we do not value education then we will value ignorance.
21. If we do not teach our children how to live in society they will not know how to live in society.
22. If we terrorize others they will return the favor.
23. If we continue to pollute our atmosphere for short term economic gain then we will have long term economic misery.
24. If we promote borrowing as a means of economic prosperity then we will have more long term economic misery.
25. If we promote casinos as an economic benefit to community then money will become more important than family.
26. If we promote prisons as an industry creating jobs then we will have more crime and more prisons.
27. If we promote the misguided economic prosperity of prisons, debt, and gambling then we will have more family misery – leading to more prisons, debt, and gambling.

I could be more specific – but then I would have to extend the time frame beyond one year. As in the Book of Revelation and the prophecies of Nostradamus, my prophecies would have to have unlimited future value. I could say, with unlimited time constraints, that “The waters will rise and cities will be flooded,” or “Entire species of animals will become extinct,” or “Centralized Governments of multi-state entities will fall,” or “Literature will expound the evil virtues of witchcraft and wizardry.”

With unlimited time I could be more abstract, more metaphorical. I could say “A seven headed dragon will rise up to conquer the evil doers,” or “The towers of evil economics will fall to righteousness.”

One day my prophecies will come true for those who bother to listen.