The economic, political, and social trends that we've been discussing are largely a product of the shift in population increasingly to newly important communities. In 21st century America, communities will differ dramatically from the big cities of the 20th century, but in important ways they are just as different from traditional suburbs and rural communities of earlier eras. We'll discuss the factors behind the rise of these new communities and their implications for the future.

As we've forecasted in prior issues of Trends, if the Baby Boomers follow the career, health, and spending trajectories of their parents between 2011 and 2021, the U.S. is likely to experience the kind of deflationary paralysis exhibited by Japan in the ‘90s, and perhaps worse. However, as we've also predicted in the past, the convergence of psychographic, technological, and economic factors is channeling this generation in a totally different direction. We'll look at some of the latest data, and discuss the implications and opportunities.

Since September 11, 2001, Americans have been highly alert for terrorist threats from abroad, especially from Islamic extremists. But a much more immediate threat to our nation is a domestic crop of terrorists that's been carrying out attacks across the country in the pursuit of diverse agendas, from environmental issues to animal rights, and from white supremacy to anti-government initiatives. Some simply hate corporations and want to destroy the American way of life. These terrorists now top the FBI's "most dangerous" list, and that organization, along with Congress and other law enforcement agencies, is going after them full-time. We'll consider the implications for you and your business.