The Oracle

[tragula]

What are people's predictions for the future? Social trends, technological leaps right around the corner, political events, etc. Especially stuff that you may have some personal special insight into...

[tragula]

I'll go first.

I predict that due to the rapidly escalating number of wives who out-earn their husbands, we are soon going to reach a tipping point where the number of at home fathers is going to surge radically.

The current stats are 1 in 6 wives out-earn their hubbies, and it is trending strongly towards parity, especially in younger, baby producing couples. More women are earning degrees then men, husbands have new hands on attitudes towards their offspring, etc. Add to this the declining number of dual income families in the past few years, reversing the previous trend in the nineties.

The more people do it, the less social stigma attached, which in turn means more people do it.

So perhaps in a couple years or so this could be the big news on the cover of time magazine?

[SheepDog]

I'd be happy to be a stay-home father. I don't think the wage shift that you describe is likely in the near future. Not that I endorse wage descrimination, I just don't see it getting there so soon.

As for a prediction, I think that the US is in for a significant gut-check economically. There are a number of factors that will contribute to this, and it's not going to be a single day crash like 1929. Consider trade deficits, budget deficits, expensive "wars", turbulence in energy prices, job migrations, and demographics just to name a few. The current trends are unsustainable, and I don't see the changes happening to put these trends on a more sustainable path.

I hope I'm wrong.

[melancholeric]

You forgot OPEC switcing to Euro. I've heard the Dollar will devalue by 20-40 % because of that when it happens. It's greatly overvalued, mostly because it's used in world trade (oil), and the trade and budget deficits.

The EU will collapse within a decade or so, resulting European civil... I mean WWIII. The Middle East will be involved if Peak Oil has passed. Peak Oil will occur soon, causing energy crisis and possible collapse of Western economy altogether.

[tragula]

I'd be happy to be a stay-home father. I don't think the wage shift that you describe is likely in the near future. Not that I endorse wage descrimination, I just don't see it getting there so soon.


Ah. But as far as my prediction is concerned the wage gap is a mostly a myth! Certainly in younger generations. Companies don't really pay men more. I never met anyone who had seen this in the real world, and not just as a stat.

If anything companies are actively recruiting women over men.

Wage discrimination stats can be explained by the fact that many women leave the workforce to raise families and re-enter it at a quite logically lower level relative to people who did not leave the work force for a few years.

And also by the fact that many more men work high pay jobs no one wants, or dangerous jobs. Garbage men, construction workers, soldiers, etc.

[coffeezombie]

I'll go first.
I predict that due to the rapidly escalating number of wives who out-earn their husbands, we are soon going to reach a tipping point where the number of at home fathers is going to surge radically.


At home husbands? What about the institution of marriage in general? lol

[Serotonin]

I'd love to be a stay at home husband.
I have minimal "gross-out" factor to poo and vomit, can cook, clean etc.

But the main reason is that I'd have time to be a writer. (envisions manifestation of childhood dream happppy)

[Pierce]

Ah. But as far as my prediction is concerned the wage gap is a mostly a myth! Certainly in younger generations. Companies don't really pay men more. I never met anyone who had seen this in the real world, and not just as a stat.

If anything companies are actively recruiting women over men.

Wage discrimination stats can be explained by the fact that many women leave the workforce to raise families and re-enter it at a quite logically lower level relative to people who did not leave the work force for a few years.

And also by the fact that many more men work high pay jobs no one wants, or dangerous jobs. Garbage men, construction workers, soldiers, etc.
I've made a shift toward placing women in high paying positions. 2 of my 3 senior execs are now women earning 6 figure incomes. I think more women are discovering that they can do the work and gaining the confidence to try it. Frankly, the talent pool for people that can actually produce results in high level positions is so shallow, smart companies don't care about gender, race or any such factors. The challenge is identifying people who will be successful. Even education and previous experience are not as important as they used to be. As businesses pursue comsumers in an ever increasing attempt to acheive relational committment, women have some advantages, given that they tend to be more emotionally flexible and resilient than men.

[Serotonin]

I'm wondering actually.....
Since women are earning as much as men, wealth will become less and less of a factor for women choosing men.... which means much more emphasis will be placed on choosing men who are simply good looking....
Guess all those gym sessions are going to pay off :sick:

[Star Cannon]

The world will collapse,
the economies will shift,
we must change
or we will die.
The world will thunder, rumble,
shift, roar, and tremble.
We will be tossed about in turbulent times.
The world will rock under scandals
The world will tremble under war
The world will change,
whether or not we are ready
The children will be born knowing,
the adults will start to know.
The adolescents sense something
Both hopelessness for the system and hoping for a new light to show
Everything evil will show it's face
Everything good will be known.
The old must be tested,
the useless thrown out
the new must be tested
the useless thrown out.
We walk on the edge of a cliff, one misstep
and the earth will declare us unworthy of further evolution.

Seriously we're going to be in for a rough ride. This pretty much sum up what I think might happen...