Serious Social Unrest in The United States

This prediction was interpreted in August, 2011
Century X, Quatrain 81:
Treasure is placed in a temple by Western citizens withdrawn therein to a secret place, the temple to open by hungry bonds, recaptured, ravished, a terrible prey in the midst.

Interpretation with Explanatory Remarks
This prediction supplements Century II, quatrain 95, which predicts serious social unrest and bloodshed in the U.S. Century II, quatrain 95, was posted on this Website, http://CurrentPredictions.blogspot.com, on May 25, 2010 under the title “The Monster, Mayan Calendar and Related Prophecies for 2012”.

Century X, quatrain 81, describes a social uprising in the United States, during which the American people will revolt against the “wealth holders”/privileged class, and there will be bloodshed. Both predictions describe a violent social uprising and the forceful expropriation of property/assets by a hungry population, similar to what transpired during the October 1917 Bolshevik revolution or the French revolution of 1789.

It is important to note that the way these two predictions are worded they infer that the uprising could be identical in violence, motivation, and purpose to those of the October 1917 Bolshevik and the 1789 French revolutions.

General Comments:
Let us now examine this prediction to determine what he is actually telling us. The prediction will first be decomposed and analyzed, part by part. The second type of analysis and validation will be conducted on the potential relevance of what Nostradamus is telling us vis-à-vis current evolving socio-economic events in the United States. This will be done for the purpose of assessing the relevance of what Nostradamus is predicting as related to current evolving events.

Decomposition of Century X, Quatrain 81: 

a. He tells us that the “treasure” will be placed in a temple and therein to a hidden place by Western citizens. The word “treasure” probably refers to private equity funds/assets, belonging to the super-rich.

b. The word “temple”, most probably, refers to banks/financial instruments. Nostradamus may have used this synonym because he may have felt that the super-billionaires cherish their money to such a high degree, money is their God. The use of the word “temple” as a synonym to “bank/financial instrument” is indeed relevant to the current time-period. It is descriptive of the current prevailing mentality. Banks/financial instruments are perceived as temples where God is worshipped. Money has become the ultimate goal of the ruling class. The pursuit of money has become the soul’s sole purpose. Isn’t his description befitting of the continuous growth of multibillion-dollar private equity funds?

c. The words “secret place” imply that when the “capital holders” realize what is about to happen, they will try to convert their assets into gold or probably into some type of currency for the purpose of hiding it. Nostradamus is telling us their action will not be successful.

d. The word “bonds” in Webster’s dictionary is described as “an attractive force that holds together the atoms, ions, or groups of atoms in a molecule or crystal”. Nostradamus’ use of the word “bonds” insinuates that these “hungry groups of people” will be bonded by a common cause. This is extremely important information he is giving us. He is basically telling us that the aggrieved groups will not be the usual “street gangs” that have been involved in previous street violence incidents. Street gangs don’t have a common cause. Their cause is usually an instantaneous opportunistic desire to loot, harass, and vandalize. Their actions are initiated by a police incident or perceived injustice that serves as a flash-point to widespread street violence. For this particular prediction Nostradamus’ choice of words infers an event, something like class warfare – identical to what happened in the French revolution of 1789 or the October 1917 Bolshevik revolution. Both of these revolutions were started by common socio-economic and political factors, such as extreme poverty and human suffering, grim living conditions, the depravity of class distinction, oppressive governmental control of the working class, and festering antipathy and anger against the political establishment and ruling class. In the case of the Bolshevik revolution, another critical factor was the extreme human suffering, misery, and loss of life that resulted from Russia’s war against Germany – a social condition similar to what our present society is experiencing from the many years of invading other countries.

e. He refers to “bonds” and describes them as “hungry”. These bonds are not the usual street gangs, but a hungry population motivated by utter desperation and hunger. The word “hungry” qualifies the context of this entire prediction. Isn’t Nostradamus here describing our deteriorating economic situation and disintegrating middle class? Could he be describing a population losing their jobs and their health insurance coverage, a population evicted from their homes, sustained by food stamps, and with no hope in sight? Could he be describing parents unable to feed and educate their children? Is he describing the plight of our brave men and women returning from the wars that were started for the sole benefit of the Defense Industrial Complex? Isn’t he describing an utterly dysfunctional and dispassionate government that has been the sole cause of America’s economic demise because Congress chose to coddle to the super-rich billionaires instead of looking after the true interests of their country? When Nostradamus refers to the “hungry”, is he alluding to the misery of those that had their houses foreclosed, those in tent cities and the homeless, or could he be alluding that economic conditions could actually deteriorate even more, to the point that the wrath of the public will explode into a public outcry for justice and rectitude? This is precisely the point I will examine in the second validation. Is his prediction doable? We definitely need to validate the probability that such a situation could actually materialize.

f. In his prediction Nostradamus refers to the treasure as “recaptured”. This insinuates that this treasure, assets, or property, did not rightfully belong to the “capital holders” to start with.

g. The expression “… a terrible prey in the midst” describes the ensuing bloodshed of the uprising. If economic conditions were to deteriorate, what is the expected reaction of a very-well armed and desperate population? Think about it? You be the judge.

Validation of the prediction vis-à-vis the current ongoing events:
I am fully aware that anyone who dares to predict a Bolshevik-type uprising and widespread bloodshed in the United States, a country which for many decades has been viewed as the bastion of democracy and the champion of human rights throughout the world, would, rightfully so, be considered delusional. But, could there be any merits to these predictions? I regret to say that, indeed, all current ongoing economic conditions point to what Nostradamus has predicted.

First, the validity of Nostradamus’ two predictions can be determined on the basis of current evolving, economic, political, and social, events. History tells us, time after time, that social upheavals are preceded by socio-economic and political discontent, insatiable demand for justice and rectitude, and pent-up anger against the ruling class. All of these ingredients are currently present and they are quietly but surely fomenting, ready to implode at the opportune time. What is missing is the catalyst.

The recent riots that took place in Great Britain in early August, 2011 started totally unexpectedly as a result of a purportedly unjustified homicide of a perceived under-class citizen by the London police. The riots, burning of property, vandalism, and looting, have been deeply disturbing to the British, especially so because they spread rapidly to multiple locations within London – as well as to other big cities such as Birmingham and Liverpool. In most cases the police was unable to cope with the multitude and abrupt violence that erupted as a result of gangs of youths roaming the streets, looting shops, harassing innocent pedestrians, and starting fires. Of course, similar violent episodes erupted numerous times in the past, both in our country, as well as elsewhere. Nostradamus’ predictions, however, describe a much more serious social uprising – one verging on total anarchy and a complete break-down of social order – identical to what took place in Russia during the October 1917 uprising against the Czar and the ruling aristocracy.

If such violence as the one in Great Britain could be provoked by a Rodney King-style episode, let us imagine the unintended consequences that could be provoked in the U.S. from a perceived prolonged social injustice perpetrated by our good-Samaritans on Capitol Hill, who persistently coddle to the whims of millionaires and billionaires. Regrettably, the persistent one-sided support of the capital-holders has ravaged the integrity of our economic system, to the point that the system has lost its intrinsic checks and balances and its elastic properties, which, under normal conditions, would periodically enable it to reach equilibrium between supply and demand. I will now address the pertinent issues that give validity to Nostradamus’ prediction.

a. First and foremost, contrary to what several well-known economists have consistently maintained, joblessness and the protracted recession in this country have the same roots as the economic problems Japan has experienced in the last twenty plus years. The causes are identical.

b. Both problems started with the migration of domestic manufacturing to foreign countries. Before the migration of factories to other countries both countries maintained an acceptable level of economic prosperity. Their debt deficit was manageable. As factories migrated, domestic labor incrementally kept losing jobs. This observation can be validated by the fact that as long as Japan produced its exports in mainland Japan, their domestic workforce prospered, and domestic demand was high. In fact, demand was so high, to the point their real estate prices skyrocketed, until the bubble burst. The bursting of their real estate bubble coincided with the starting point of their declining domestic demand. The same thing took place in this country with the exception that domestic demand was artificially maintained high for a few more years by skyrocketing real estate prices and home equity mortgages, until the balloon burst by the credit crunch in 2008.

c. Contrary to the fairy tales some economists expound, as long as jobs are allowed to migrate elsewhere, domestic joblessness in the U.S. will not only persist, but will gradually rise to totally unacceptable levels. Monetary liquidity and artificial stimuli cannot, and will not, create sustainable jobs, or provide long-lasting benefits to the domestic economy. In our current economic environment, government-induced jobs are temporary and inconsequential. They don’t produce lasting prosperity because the economic multiplier effect does not stay in this country. Government economic stimuli make other countries prosperous, but definitely not us. President Obama cannot create meaningful jobs. The government cannot create jobs by pumping borrowed money into the market. Such policies not only increase the national debt, but they also increase the trade deficit. It wouldn’t have been as bad if the debt were held by American investors, but this is not the case. The economic system is broken. It does not work. A workable economic system requires “supply” and “demand” to co-exist within its own confines of the system. A country needs its own manufacturing base. This idea of a free world-trade is a gimmick of the super-rich and of their profligate friends on Capitol Hill to enrich them. Congress has enabled the continuous transfer of wealth from the working class to capital holders, but this is eventually a self-destructive process. The current markets don’t work.

d. An economic system is fundamentally similar to an ecological system. In the case of an ecological system, if one introduces an alien fauna or flora species, it could destroy the natural checks and balances of the system that helps it maintain the required equilibrium. The introduction of the Asian Carp into the Great Lakes is a good example. An economic system has the same innate requirements. First, it must be a relatively closed/controlled system. The principle of laissez-faire, although it allows for a free capitalistic enterprise, nevertheless it requires certain checks and balances that would help it maintain the requisite balance between supply and demand within its defined working environment. Once we introduced other countries into our economic system, the economy was bound to suffer due to economic nationalism, currency manipulation, and/or low wage levels – factors which are beyond our national fiscal control. This is precisely what has been happening. This is the reason why job creation is beyond the government’s ability.

e. Joblessness and demand-destruction in this country will continue unabated, until we reach a level of total economic depression. None of the governmental interventions will amount to anything. This is because our economic system is fundamentally broken. Demand is primarily in this country, but the supply portion of the economic equation is in other countries. Therefore, federal stimuli are ineffective because the economic multiplier effect, which is so critical to the natural maintenance of economic elasticity and equilibrium, has been relocated to other countries. Every time the government goes into debt to create domestic jobs, the economic multiplier goes to the countries where the shoes, clothes, furniture, etc. are produced. This unintended consequence can be validated by the perpetual monthly trade deficit we have. This monthly trade deficit, in it-self, should tell us that there is something seriously wrong with the economic system. The monthly trade deficit is our thermometer. It constantly tells us that the health of our system is not good and needs our attention.

f. Contrary to what many well-known Wall Street financial managers maintain, American creativity, ingenuity, and technical innovations cannot, and will not, by themselves, resolve the growing domestic joblessness. Not a chance! The manufacturing process for new technological innovations will, once again, migrate overseas. Take a look around you and see all these gadgets that were invented in this country, but which are being produced elsewhere. The only potential beneficiaries in this country will be the top-level managements and the Boards of Directors of corporations. Nobody else. Not even the stock holders will see any worthwhile dividend increases. The majority of corporate profits will be divided among the capital holders as stock options, exorbitant salary increases, retirement benefits, bonuses, etc.

g. Several members of Congress have persistently maintained that higher taxes for the rich would reduce domestic demand and increase the level of joblessness. They claim that lower taxation would result in more domestic investments and more job-creation. Their argument is not supported by actual facts. The super-rich don’t necessarily start new companies. They buy-up weak companies, break them up, lay off personnel and reduce costs to the bone to increase profitability, and then resell the companies as “lean and mean”. Look at what private equity funds have done during the last twenty-plus years! This practice doesn’t create jobs; it increases joblessness. Furthermore, no logical American investor who wants to increase his personal wealth would necessarily invest money in this country. They would invest overseas. I mention the tax issue because higher taxes would have enabled the federal government to reduce its national debt, thus increase its potential safety margin for any future catastrophic emergencies, when the government may need to spend more money. Those Congressmen that have supported low taxation for the rich have, indeed, inflicted immeasurable damage to our country. They won’t realize the degree of the damage they have inflicted until Nostradamus’ predictions have materialized. The unintended consequences of their self-serving actions could indeed prove catastrophic.

h. The pertinent question at this time is “How did we let the economic system go broke?” The answer to this question was stated long ago by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, who purportedly said “The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.” This is precisely what has happened. So, what is the relevance of Lenin’s quote versus what Nostradamus predicted? Let’s examine the facts.

i. The economic situation in our country was doing quite well until Congress, corporate managements, and Boards of Directors came up with the idea of building overseas factories to reduce production cost and raise profit. Production costs for sure came down, and profits rose, but ironically, the main beneficiaries have been the capital holders and the good-Samaritans on Capitol Hill. We can attest to their growing enrichment by the very fact that some private equity funds have a greater capitalization than sovereign funds. To the best of my knowledge this condition did not exist anytime in previous times.

j. In turn, the above condition has gradually expanded the divide between the have and the have-nots, and income disparity is assuming critical and destructive characteristics. The influence of the rich has grown to such a high degree to the point politicians behave like their defense lawyers, resulting in a totally dysfunctional government. As a result, our economy is deteriorating because politicians refuse to take legislative action which may be contrary to the interests of their billionaire contributors.

k. This political affiliation with the capital holders resulted in an increased risk taking and “anything-goes-mentality to make more and more money”. Under proper risk management, risk and debt may be okay, provided they allow for an adequate margin of safety in case of unexpected events.

l. Recently, the Federal Reserve with other Federal Agencies has taken steps to increase the capitalization of banks. This is commendable. However, no matter how well banks are capitalized, and how well risk management is maintained, the fact remains that our overall economic system is broken. Therefore, our margin of safety for a catastrophic, man-made or natural event, is non-existent. And this is where Nostradamus comes in.

m. In several of his other predictions which I have already posted on my Website, www.CurrentPredictions.org, he tells us that around the end of 2012 the planet will experience serious tectonic incidents. These tectonic incidents could serve as the catalyst of the economic holocaust and bloodshed that Nostradamus is predicting.

n. Under the above circumstances many banks would become insolvent and close their doors. The FDIC would not be in a position to assist, simply because it is already broke. Depositors would not be able to withdraw their respective deposits. Borrowers would be unable to pay off their debts because many of them would have lost their jobs. Banks that have made questionable investments would surely suffer the most. Credit default swaps, like any other insurance, would be only as reliable as long as the promising company or bank would be able to pay. They serve as promissory notes based on current, but not future, credit-worthiness. In the case of a major catastrophe, the loss would undoubtedly have a serious ripple effect. The damage would be widespread and it could affect the entire social structure.

Under the above conditions, Nostradamus’ predictions could indeed be very relevant, and God forbid, doable. All those automatic weapons that Congress indiscriminately allowed to be sold like confetti, could come back to haunt them. We may hope that this day will not come, but if that day comes, hell could break loose. We now know why Arnold Toynbee, the famous historian, said “History repeats itself”. Revolutions will continue to occur, no matter what, because people repeatedly fail to learn from past mistakes. We have recently seen it in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. We see it in Syria, and some day we could see it in Iran. Let us hope we don’t see one in our country.

Fukushima’s March 2011 Earthquake Is A Prelude To The Prophecies for 2012

Quatrain Interpreted March, 2011
Century III, Quatrain 34
Then when the eclipse of the sun will be in broad daylight the monster will be seen.  It will be interpreted quite differently; they will not care about expense, none will have provided for it.

Interpretation with Explanatory Remarks
This quatrain was interpreted before.  At this point I merely wish to comment on the implications of the 9.0-magnitude devastating earthquake that took place in Fukushima, Japan, on March 2011.  The earthquake/tsunami could be a prelude of what is to come in 2012.  Just imagine this type of an event happening in different parts of the planet!

General Comment:   There are many speculations surrounding the prophecies of Nostradamus and the Mayans regarding the events that may transpire on December 21, 2012.  There are individuals who believe 2012 will be the end of the planet.  Others don’t believe in prophecies.  They believe nothing will happen.  They assume our planet will continue to exist as is.  Judging from Nostradamus’ predictions related to the post-2012 period, I believe both positions are wrong.  Indeed, our planet earth could suffer a major geologic devastation, but it would not be the end of the world.  Probably millions of people could perish, but life would go on.  The planet will continue to exist with a new geological profile.  The earth’s axis may change which could cause the ice at the poles to melt much more rapidly.  The land mass of continents could shrink.  Low elevation lands would be submerged.  Many islands would disappear, and others would be reduced in size.  The combination of severe tectonic activity and tsunamis – just like what happened recently in Japan – could kill millions of people.  In addition, there could be volcanic activity that could add to the rest of human misery.  Let me explain the reasons for my beliefs.    First, the fact that both Nostradamus and the Mayans, independently and without knowing what each other said about 12/21/2012, predicted a cataclysmic event related to a planetary alignment, clearly renders credibility to the prediction.  The prediction may have been described differently, but both predictions are describing the same event and the identical time.  Nostradamus refers to a total solar eclipse, which is projected for November 13-14, 2012.  (Note that History Channel has referred to a pictorial book.  Their date is December 21, 2012.)  The Mayans refer to the date and a planetary alignment.  This can not be an accidental coincidence.  However, if both Nostradamus and the Mayans had strong psychic abilities, they could certainly see the future – even if the future was centuries away.  Of course, this remains to be determined, as events unfold.  Second, throughout the millenniums, our planet went through several geological periods.  During these periods the planet’s profile kept changing morphologically. Continents drifted from one unified land mass to what we have today. Thus, as continents drifted, the profile of the land and sea kept changing.  At the same time, the planet experienced cooling, glaciations, and warming periods.  The fauna and flora blossomed and perished repeatedly.  Some species survived through environmental adaptation and genetic mutations.  In parallel with the above situations, atmospheric conditions changed, caused by a variety of different variables, such as volcanic activity, asteroid impact, amount of vegetation, generation of carbon dioxide, etc.  The point I would like to make is that the planet has been in constant change.  Some changes occurred gradually.  Other changes were more abrupt.  If planet earth experienced such traumatic changes and turmoil in the past, the probability is that such events will take place again.  Could 2012 be one of those times the planet will undergo another abrupt change?  It remains to be seen.    Third, in parallel with all the tectonic changes going on as cited above, the angle of the planet’s axis has been changing.  It has been proven scientifically that in past times the poles were where the equator is today.  The critical question is “What causes the axis of the planet to change its angle?”  For sure, we know that powerful earthquakes, such as the ones we experienced recently in Chile and Japan, can change the angle of the earth’s axis, but could there also be other causes?  Another cause is the impact of asteroids.  But, could another cause be unique periodic planetary alignments that could affect the planet’s magnetic properties, thus causing the angle of the axis to change?  The TV History channel said that the Mayan planetary alignment takes place every 23,000 years.  This could certainly be another cause that up-to-now human beings have not been able to experience, or prove or disprove, because we haven’t been around that long.  Is this what the Mayans and Nostradamus are trying to tell us?  We will soon find out. I certainly hope that my assumptions are wrong, and nothing eventful will happen.  But, if Japan’s March 2011 earthquake/tsunami is, indeed, a prelude to what is to come, we should take a good look at what happened to Japan and prepare for the worst.  Japan’s earthquake may have provided us an opportunity for “lessons learned.”  If we assume that in 2012 mankind will be inflicted by similar devastations all over the planet, maybe we could mitigate the impact through advance preparations.  Some ideas that come to mind are: 1.      Those living close to nuclear plants should buy iodine or potassium iodide pills to protect themselves against potential melt-downs.  These pills will help against nuclear radiation.  If you wait till the last minute to buy these pills, they may not be available, and even if they are available, prices may be much higher because of the demand and the scarcity of supplies.  In addition, companies manufacturing these pills may be unable to produce large quantities immediately after a major devastation.  The federal government may not have the required quantities to supply everyone throughout the country.  Furthermore, if the planet experiences a major cataclysm, we should assume that there will be pandemonium and chaos.  Things will not work out as expected or planned.  Roads could be damaged, bridges could be unsafe, and airport runways could be damaged.  In addition, workers may be unable to travel with the ease and speed we do under normal working conditions. 2.      People should have enough cash on hand to support themselves for at least three months.  If we experience a world-wide tectonic devastation, most of the banks, if not all, will close their doors.  Even if the banks don’t lose all of their collateral deposits and/or investments, rest assured the banks will use every possible excuse not to return their customers’ deposits.  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will not have the resources to cover losses of such great magnitude.  The situation could be a lot worse than it was during the 1929 depression.  Nowadays there are a lot more banks than in 1929, and banks usually hold greater amounts of customer deposits. 3.      Every household should have enough bottled water for cooking and drinking to support the family for about three months.  Reconstruction of damaged infrastructure after a major devastation will take a long time.  The decision-process and its follow-on execution take a long time.  Design plans may have to be drawn, budgets will have to be approved, task orders will have to be prepared, contract bids will have to be submitted, proposals will have to be evaluated, etc.  4.      Every household should have enough food to cover at least three months of basic necessities.  Assuming many households could lose electric power and gas, arrange for other means of cooking. 5.      Those that require special medication, buy a three-months supply in advance of December 21.  Don’t assume that these items will be readily available after such an event. 6.      Those that are ill and require medical procedures/operations should consider having them several weeks prior to December 21, 2012.  If we were to experience any destructive tectonic activity in 2012, medical facilities and doctors may not be available for elective medical issues.  7.      After a major earthquake one potential danger is fires caused by ruptured gas lines.  I suggest you contact your respective gas provider to get advice as to how to best protect your household against such an event. 8.      Those who watched pictures and videos of the aftermath of Japan’s earthquake/tsunami devastation may have noticed the great social discipline that prevailed among the ruined communities.  There was no looting or social disobedience.  The conduct of the Japanese people was impeccable.  They conducted themselves with utmost dignity.  Unfortunately, this may not be the situation in Western societies.  Furthermore, the extent of the 2012 disaster, judging from Nostradamus’ predictions, will be much broader and more devastating.  Communities should not rely on police to maintain discipline and order.  In fact, the police personnel will have problems of their own and they may not be readily available.  Communities will need to organize their own vigilante groups to maintain order and keep looters and/or unwanted people away from their communities. 9.      If the planet experiences a major tectonic upheaval, in all probability a lot of the earth’s crust layers (strata) would slide in relation to each other.  If this were to happen, two possible scenarios could take place. ·        First, in the case of oil companies that have drilled on land for natural gas using the fracking process (hydraulic fracturing), the pipes drilled through the various strata could be damaged, allowing chemical liquids to surface to the water table.  In addition, parts of the strata could be damaged creating fissures through which the injected liquid could surface to the respective water tables polluting them with chemicals, thus rendering the water undrinkable.  Thus, those living in areas where gas fracking is being performed, even if they survive the earthquake, they may find themselves unable to survive if they stay in the same place because of lack of unpolluted drinking water.  The polluted water will affect people, grazing animals, wild life – and maybe vegetation.  ·        The second scenario pertains to oil wells drilled in the sea.  The scenario is basically identical to the previous one with the exception that in this case it will be oil and natural gas that could escape to the sea floor and pollute the sea.  In fact, even now we periodically experience such problems in the Gulf of Mexico in cases where unproductive and/or abandoned wells are not plugged properly.  In the case of oil wells drilled in the sea, the deeper the well, the greater the probability the pipe and/or the strata could be damaged.  I am mentioning this scenario because the Hopi Indians predicted that the sea will turn black.  If such a catastrophe were to take place, the sea will certainly change color and the sea life will disappear in no time.     10.  A major tectonic/volcanic/tsunami activity and ensuing fires could destroy houses and high-rise buildings.  So, don’t keep valuables just anywhere in your residence.    11.  Those residing in low elevation land, like coastal areas in the South, should arrange for a two-to-three-week vacation to higher elevation areas.  Take a good look at what happened to coastal areas in Japan.  Low elevation areas will surely be affected by powerful tsunamis.  Take a vacation about a week prior to December 21, 2012, and stay away for a week past that date.  This suggestion is made on the assumption that the event will happen exactly on December 21, as predicted, but this may not necessarily be correct.  The event could very well happen a few weeks before or after the December 21 date. In century VIII, quatrain 81, Nostradamus writes “The new empire in desolation will be changed from the Northern Pole…”  This quatrain contains a lot of very important, and potentially relevant, information, but what exactly is Nostradamus trying to tell us?  The words the “new empire”, most probably, symbolize the countries comprising the European Common Market (ECM).  Nostradamus lived in France.  He was familiar with Europe.  He referred to a geographic area he was familiar with.  For sure, the ECM covers a large geographic area, and from a geopolitical perspective its current governmental system has a lot of similarities with those of an empire.  For centuries Europe existed as separate nations/State entities feuding with each other.   From a historical perspective the ECM is a very recent development, and in this respect the term “New Empire” could be considered a very appropriate symbolism.  The reference to “new” is indeed an excellent qualification of the European Common Market.  He then goes on to say that this new empire “…in desolation will be changed from the Northern Pole…”  What does this expression mean?  If my interpretation of this quatrain is correct, Nostradamus could be telling us that the magnitude of the 2012 earthquake(s) would be way off the Richter scale, much higher than Japan’s 9.0.  What else is he telling us? ·        First and foremost, he tells us that the ECM will be desolated.  Webster’s Dictionary defines “desolation” as devastation, ruin, barren wasteland.  The definition brings back to mind TV images of Fukushima’s devastation!  Could this devastation take place as a result of one or more very devastating earthquakes, possibly in combination with tsunamis and/or the melt-down of nuclear power plants?  The ECM covers a very large geographic area.  So, he is obviously inferring that the cause of this desolation will have to be an extremely destructive event.  Since this kind of desolation does not take place often – we have not experienced such a destructive event during the entire history of mankind – he is insinuating that the event is a very “rare and unusual occurrence”.  ·        Second, by association, he insinuates that if all these ECM countries would be desolated, the rest of the countries occupying the current Northern Hemisphere would also be impacted by this desolation.  In fact, the entire planet would be affected one way or another.  ·        Third, he tells us that all the countries comprising the New Empire “…will be changed from the Northern Pole”. Could this mean that they would no longer be in the Northern hemisphere?  The way he has worded the quatrain he could be telling us that the countries comprising the ECM would end up in the Southern hemisphere.  If they are no longer in the Northern hemisphere, the only other hemisphere remaining in this planet is the Southern one.  But, since he says “…changed from the Northern Pole…”, he could very well be saying that the location of the countries in ECM would change in relation to the Northern Pole.  In other words, they will still remain in the Northern hemisphere but the respective latitude and longitude of the ECM countries will change. Either of the above interpretations infers a considerable change of the earth’s axis.  Such an event could certainly be cataclysmic, but it would not necessarily be the end of the planet or the disappearance of mankind.  In fact, this event may have taken place many times before but we have no way of knowing it.  Homo sapiens haven’t been around that long.  Do you see the similarity of Nostradamus’ prediction to that of the Mayans?  What is the statistical probability of these two, totally independent, predictions describing fundamentally the same event and citing the same time?    ·        Fourth, a change in the earth’s axis presupposes that the earth’s outer crust would be disturbed (The earthquakes in Chile and Fukushima, Japan, resulted in a change of the earth’s axis too, but the change was minor).  The outer tectonic plates would have to reposition themselves, causing a series of periodic, follow-on, powerful earthquakes.  This period of tectonic instability could last for a long time. ·        Fifth, the geologic profile of the earth would change, with commensurate climate changes, new sea currents, new ecological systems, and weather patterns.           Judging from what Nostradamus is saying in the afore-mentioned quatrain, the events of 2012 could be apocalyptic.  Many nuclear power plants would incur melt-downs.  Dams would burst. Bridges, overpasses, tunnels, and high-rise buildings would, for sure, collapse.  Many houses would be destroyed and/or burned as a result of ensuing fires.  Low elevation lands would be submerged. Millions of people could perish.  Properties and entire fortunes would be destroyed instantaneously – just like in Japan.  December 21, 2012 could indeed be the official start of the Apocalypse, the beginning of mankind’s trials and tribulations.  If the readers have any doubts, all they have to do is look at the devastation of Fukushima, Japan.  The event was totally unexpected. Fukushima could, indeed, be a microcosm of what the world could witness in 2012. If the above event were to happen, the survivors should thank The Lord our God for everything He has given us and everything He has not given us.  Even under the most desperate conditions mankind should not despair.  We must never lose hope.  There is a purpose in God’s actions.  All global changes are nature’s way of establishing periodic checks and balances in nature.  Furthermore, we ought to recognize that God is not punishing us.  Our souls are here on this planet earth for one purpose only – to evolve spiritually.  The events in our respective lives are tests to build us spiritually, not to punish us.  Lifetime events are learning experiences.  In the last two-to-three decades mankind’s avarice has surged to inordinate and obscene levels.  Corrupt politicians, greedy lobbyists, unethical dictators, and unscrupulous CEOs and Board of Directors systematically plundered mankind in order to amass material wealth that, rightfully, did not belong to them.  This event could indeed steer mankind away from this pernicious greed that afflicted mankind like a highly contagious virus and lead us to a happier path of spiritual uplifting and spiritual consciousness.