Look at the top. Your political and corporate leaders may be well dressed enough, but the downward spiral of their collective moral character has brought them epic lows. As poll after poll shows, there is virtually no measure of respect given to the most powerful — those with the most control over your life and future. That powerlessness is now...
Salt, sugar, additives and “I don’t care”
North Americans are possibly the world’s best-nourished people — and our diet is killing us. By some estimates, more than a third of adults are overweight or outright obese. In 1970, 4.2 percent of children under age 12 were obese; by 2000, the proportion was 15.3 percent. Today, experts estimate that between 20 and 25 percent of young people ages 20...
Trendpost
We’ve met the enemy and it’s attached to the hand holding our fork. Ultimately, each of us is responsible for what we and our children eat. But, try as we might, we show no signs of decreasing our collective pants size. Studies show that four out of five gym memberships are rarely used. We shunned sugar in favor of artificial...
Longer life is no guarantee of health
Yes, we’re living longer — much longer. But longevity doesn’t always translate into healthy living. In 2000, there were approximately 36 million Americans living beyond the age of 65. It is estimated that by the year 2025 that number will double, and most of the male and female population by that time can expect to live to 84 and 86 respectively....
Bogeymen, terrorists and evil doers
Only a madman would speak such words. Only frightened people would believe them. And believe they did. Scared to death, Americans were dumbstruck with terror. Addressing the nation on the evening of 9/11, the newly elected president, George W. Bush, said: “America was targeted for attack … because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world.” Nine...
Publisher’s Note
When I was writing Trends 2000 in the 1990s, it was clear to me that — fast on the heels of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the demise of Communism — the foundation was already built to support, nourish and accelerate a mindset destined to grossly miscalculate the origins of terrorism and the appropriate ways to respond to terrorist...
The art murderers
Welcome to today’s art world, the new Vaudeville, populated by smiling exhibitionists producing bad jokes and bad acts. The dealers are the P.T. Barnums of the art world. They’re selling white elephants and mental-midgets to an ignorant public that has been trained to “see” with their ears. As P.T. said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” He got that right....
Stop terrorism? Not a chance
The trend toward equipping local police departments with battlefield armory under the guise of protecting us from terror is so widely accepted that no one asks anymore: Will that tank in my community really save me? Back in August of 2013, here’s how News Channel News reported the arrival of a armored vehicle in Gallatin, Tenn.: It could have been...
Police violence against the public soars
In the 1960s, there was an effort in New York City to establish a civilian police review board. Complaints about police violence and harassment of black New Yorkers had grown to the point that the reality of the problem was obvious. New York Mayor John Lindsay was amenable, but conservatives led by William F. Buckley and the police rose up...
Trendpost
In our Summer 2013 Trends Journal edition, we forecast that America’s surveillance and militarized state would intensify. The military might on display in the aftermath of the April 2013 bombing at the Boston Marathon demonstrated the scope of police military capability and the willingness to use it at the local level. Few criticized the reaction besides the Trends Research Institute, because, after...