We can only begin to imagine what the year ahead will bring.
It’s not that it is hard to predict the main or possibly triggering events, we just can’t imagine the outcome. One thing the past few years have made obvious to everyone is that the unimaginable can happen and can even become routine.
To begin, there is the presidential election, which as of this writing seems to be a re-match between President Biden and Donald Trump. Unless Biden suddenly changes his mind or Trump is convicted. Even a Trump conviction does not necessarily mean he won’t be the Republican nominee. Before this point in history, a mere indictment on one charge would have been enough to push most candidates out of the race. That is no longer the case.
In the lifetimes of most people born after World War II, there has never been a more perilous time for the future of the country.
Add to the domestic uncertainty the on-going wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. The outcome of the U.S. election could have a major impact on the trajectory of both and there is no guarantee another country might use our focus on domestic politics to rattle the U.S. further than we are rattling ourselves.
There should be equal concern about the unknown unknowns. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, foreign wars, foreign interference in the U.S. election; are just a few of the possible points of additional pressure on the horizon. Some may be in our control, but most are not.
Bottom Line: It is foolish for anyone to predict what the U.S. and the world will look like twelve months from now. The only thing we can be certain of is that the year ahead will test us in ways we previously could not imagine.