Dates for your diary: Arse kicking in the Church.

In the future you may well be asking, "What were you doing on 8th March, 16 April, 26 December 2009?".

I won't say why exactly here, now, on 24 February 2009, but here is what I predict.

On or about those dates something which the US "perceives" as external (so it could be external and also be part of itself is does not acknowledge) will fundamentally undermine the US belief in its value system (i.e. money, "success"; there will be a great sense of having invested in something which turns out to let it down (false gods, articles of faith - money, free market); it could also be that the ideology of winner takes all is best for all is severely shown for what it is in a societal context - the hidden unloved and uncared for people of the US will be undeniably (to sane people) visible and their pain and distress becomes part of the national psyche. And these are not just down and outs, but middle class people whose regular savings and pensions have been so slaughtered that they have lost financial stability and security.

One way or another, there will be an almost shocking realisation around money and values in the US.

These are things which are already going on underneath the surface, like depth charges....but some event or speech around the dates mentioned should pin point a sea change. Its the moment when even money falls away and the problem becomes so fundamental a society questions its entire value structures, the validity of those values, and where they came from.

I know these are not specific predictions and this might sound like more of the same but these dates (plus or minus a day or two) will deal once and for death blows; not recoverable from without transformation and without the prop of what was the former foundation.

By the end of the year the US and Western belief system in capitalism, and free market fundamentalism, will know its been truly Tango'd.

A few years ago there was a glorious comedy TV series in the UK called "Father Ted" about the life of some priests on an Irish island. In one episode a priest loses a bet and his forfeit was to "Kick Bishop Brennen up the Arse". Afraid to do so, he was counselled by the other priests that the Bishop would be so taken aback and in shock that he wouldn't even believe it had happened. Well, it was partly true, the Bishop was sent into a catatonic stupor for days. But eventually the (accidental) disclosure of of a ten meter high photo of the arse kicking event brought the Bishop around to the reality of what had happened.

We are collectively having a Bishop Brennen moment right now. The politicians and bankers are trying to lull us into disbelief. But the ten meter high photo is developing, fast. And we are waking up to the fact that our arses have indeed been kicked by the bankers. Indeed the whole church of capitalism has been kicked up the arse by its priests.

And perhaps its time. Avarice, the love of money, is the root of much evil. In the absence of the love of much else (and I mean devoting time and money to that), it has made us the slave of money, rather than money the servant.

As a good friend of mine once said, what's a value 'til it costs you something?

Lets all ask what our values are worth, and just what the terrible hardship is we fear that we aren't joyfully able say "yes" to that for a more sane world.