Is it coming true?

I took AP European History in my sophomore year of high school. Fun class. I remember nearing the AP test- probably a week before there was a fire drill. Ms. Ward had just passed out booklets that she had explaining what the EU was when the fire drill happened. She said to take the booklets, to go outside to the football scoreboard, which is where we were supposed to stand. It was one of those long firedrills where the fire chief comes and then rips everyone another for taking so long to evacuate the school and if this were a real fire...

I remember Ms. Ward saying this would be a long fire drill, and that was why we were to bring the booklets along with us. We made ourselves comfy on the grass below the scoreboard and she began talking about the EU, the EU money system, how a country joins, and things of that sort. Then, she said this, which has still stuck with me today...

The U.S. is at the end of being a superpower for reasons like credit problems, rising prices, we're making more foes than friend sin the world, etc. Our economy is going to fall as the EU rises. When the Euro started rising in comparison to the dollar, I remember thinking what Ms. Ward said was true. Ms. Ward said the EU is going to become more and more accepted. She said that the EU is probably going to have to pull the U.S. out of where it is heading. I remember thinking, yeah lady... in 100 years. And now, today, I wonder if this day is sooner than I had thought with all of the credit and housing woes. If this $700 billion bailout doesn't happen I'm pretty sure we'll be in a depression. Will Europe pull us out?

Ms. Ward continued talking and said that this was her theory on how the world would end. She was not particularly religious- she was a non-practicing Episcopalian. She said that the U.S. will surrender to the E.U., China will too because their economy is so dependent on ours, hence everyone would be united together- world peace. Then the stuff that is mentioned in the book of Revelations would happen and that would be the end. I remember Lisa, my good friend, and very Christian friend asked why none of this was in the Bible and how Ms. Ward knew this. Ms. Ward said she didn't, but this was her opinion, but also what she thought based on her study of the E.U.

*** Another random thing from AP Euro since we're on such a happy note and talking about end times... Ms. Ward gave a lesson on the Catholic Church and popes once. She printed off a list of the Pope, their picture, and why they were chosen to power if it was known. I remember Ms. Ward saying what was said in the news after John Paul II died that this next pope (Benedict) was to be a transitional pope, only to be around a few years. Then there would be one final Pope after him... I found that whole idea mindblowing. How did she know all of this?

Well, whether we are end times or not, I wanted to share because I was thinking the other day how everything that Ms. Ward said about a big problem the U.S. is facing now seems to be coming true. Sure, credit, buying things on credit, of course will lead to problems, the housing market, etc. but back in 2003 I was a sophomore in high school and just couldn't imagine that.