One of the world's most accurate trends forecasters is predicting the rise of a viable 3rd party by 2012.  Gerald Celente, of the Trends Research Institute is making some dire predictions for 2010 and 2012.  Celente is considered a "Prophet of Doom" by many, but a highly credible track record makes his prognostications difficult to ignore.  Here's an abridged version of his accurate predictions over the last couple of decades:

1.  Stock market crash of 1987

2.  Collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989

3.  Asian Currency Crisis of 1997

4.  Dot com collapse of 2000

5.  Beginning of the gold bull run in 2002

6.  The Great Recession, commencing in 2007

7.  The Panic of '08

While impressive, Celente's predictions have not been perfect.  In the '90s, he failed to predict the explosion of the Internet Revolution. This year, his prediction of a total collapse in world markets and in commercial real estate failed to materialize.  While markets collapsed to record lows in early March, they have experienced a robust rebound to modest historical levels.  Commercial real estate is suffering severe distress, but not a total meltdown.  Celente admitted that the wild cards of unprecedented money printing by the Federal Reserve and Wall St bailouts by the US Treasury falsified his predictions of the "Collapse of '09".

As 2010 arrives, he is making three new dire predictions.  First, he is predicting the bursting of the "Bailout Bubble".  Second, he is predicting a Currency Crisis by the end of the first quarter, with the US Dollar being especially hit hard. Third, he is predicting "Terror 2010", in which a high probability of a major terrorist attack on US soil or NATO countries exists due to the intense escalation of our overseas wars.  The latter prediction, though downright frightening, should not be casually dismissed, considering the recent, attempted attack on Christmas Day, as well as Celente's eerie predictions in the December 14, 2000 issue of USA Today, and in the Trends Journal's "Top Trends 2001" issue where he stated that Americans would not be safe at home or abroad. Nine months later, 9/11 hit.

Despite the gloom and doom predictions for the next few years, Celente is making a much more optimistic, but equally provocative, prediction for 2012 that should particularly interest independent-minded voters.  By 2012, Celente is predicting the rise of a highly competitive 3rd Party to launch the Second American Revolution.  It may sound a bit far-fetched for most, considering the two-party stranglehold on DC, but keep in mind that Celente predicted the rise of Ross Perot before the 1992 election.  At this time, Celente has not identified a specific individual whom he believes will lead the charge, but he is labeling the party as "Progressive Libertarian", progressive in the sense of a much greater emphasis on food safety, health, education, the environment, and anti-war issues, and libertarian in the sense of a return to a stricter adherence to the Constitution, balanced budgets, states' rights, a strong Dollar, and a much more limited, cost-effective national defense.  While the union of progressive and libertarian philosophies would initially appear to contradict one another in a number of ways, the Wall St hijacking of Washington DC, the lack of accountability at the Federal Reserve, the monstrous national debt, and the incessant, open-ended wars abroad could unite these disparate camps.

Celente posits that the development of a robust third party will serve as the culmination of the next great American Revolution, a largely intellectual revolution that will revive the spirit and mind of the American people.  2012 will commence the American Renaissance, as the nation exits the era of corporatism, perpetual war, government secrecy, and gargantuan debt, and returns to its 1776 roots of constitutional government, individual liberties, limited war, innovation, states' rights, and fiscal responsibility.

As a self-proclaimed "political atheist", it should be noted that Celente is highly critical of mainstream Republicans and Democrats; therefore, his bold forecasts are deemed to be quite objective by most critics.  Celente states that the motto at the Trends Research Institute is to "think for yourself", a motto that should also define independent-minded voters.  

Over the next few years, independent-minded voters will be able to put Celente's predictions to the test.  If most of his predictions are fulfilled, America will face a very difficult time before turning the corner in 2012.  And if most of his predictions come true, independent-minded voters from all across the political spectrum will play a pivotal role in restoring America to its previous greatness, a prospect that is both daunting and thrilling at the same time.