Looking forward to 2024

The year of CHAOS?
As we step into 2024, the world is poised to experience significant change and maybe exciting advancements. it will be a year of destruction, increasing inflation/ interest rates and the United States election that will no doubt affect us all. No one really knows, but l can offer some general thoughts on how the economy, wars, and other factors might evolve based on historical trends and current events.

Historically, economies have experienced periods of expansion and contraction, and it’s likely that this pattern will continue. However, the specific trajectory of the global economy in 2024 will depend on a multitude of complex and interrelated factors. It’s possible that technological innovations, shifts in trade dynamics, and geopolitical developments could significantly impact global economic conditions.

Following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2024 is expected to be a crucial year for global economic recovery and resilience-building efforts. Governments, businesses, and international organizations will continue to focus on strategies for revitalizing economies, fostering job creation, and addressing inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic. Additionally, the evolution of digital currencies and financial technologies may reshape the global financial landscape, impacting the way we transact the store value. In plain words, the first six months of 2024 in all financial categories does not look good.

Health care in Ontario will see a net positive when l look into my crystal ball coming out of the pandemic. The lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic are likely to help us navigate throughout the coming years and in particular this year. Efforts to bolster healthcare infrastructure, enhanced early warning systems, and improved vaccine distribution networks will be key priorities for folks globally and here in Ontario. Advancements in medicine are improving every day and, in my view, healthcare is probably the area that will benefit the most in 2024 and beyond.

The Palestinian / Israeli war will not come to an end and in fact l see this escalating much further in 2024 as a well-organized Palestinian movement takes effect. However, predicting the occurrence of wars and conflicts is inherently uncertain, as they are influenced by a wide array of political, social, and economic factors. While efforts may be made to prevent and resolve conflicts, historical precedent suggests that localized and regional conflicts could continue to arise in various parts of the world. Additionally, tensions between major powers could influence the global security environments. Efforts to promote international cooperation and diplomacy may play a crucial role in mitigating the risk of large-scale conflicts.

Just staying on the war front…the Russian/ Ukraine conflict will pause and with the limelight off Putin and his invasion, it gives the Russians a reprieve and works to the advantage for Russia. But my money is on the China/Russia partnership against the world and if Biden somehow gets reelected, you will see all hell break loose with this conflict.

One of my bold predictions for 2024 is that Doug Ford, premiere of Ontario will resign should the RCMP investigation pick up steam. I’m on the record of predicting that Ford will ultimately not seek reelection against newly anointed Bonnie Crombie as leader of the Liberal party in Ontario. The green belt issues are still haunting Ford and his government, and these issues will not go away until the RCMP investigation ends. More heads will roll, and it may just be Ford’s.

Cybersecurity and digital privacy will be front and center, as our reliance on digital technologies grows and 2024 will likely see an increased emphasis on cybersecurity and digital privacy. But the biggest problem we will have everywhere is protecting ourselves from bad people.

With issues such as defunding the police and less resources individual citizens have no choice but to defend themselves and their families.

Getting a gun and a licensed one is on the rise, and I must admit that l am thinking of getting one for myself. Self-protection in 2024 will be on the rise and setting up checks and balances in your own home will be imperative.

Americans are increasingly talking about civil war. If the American democratic controlled courts continue to keep Trump off the ballots in the upcoming election and tip the balance to the left, there will be a revolt. Trump himself predicted that terrible things are going to happen if the temperature wasn’t brought down in the country. Perhaps most troubling, Americans on both sides of the political divide increasingly state that violence is justified. Many folks still do not see this, but l believe that Americans will start killing one another. Insurgency experts wondered whether January 6 would be the beginning of such sustained series of attacks.

Building up to this November election in the States is something that the global community is watching because it will have a huge impact on everyone.

The year 2024 holds the title as the year of CHAOS and l believe that it will be. It will be very difficult for the average family to make ends meet. Aside from trying to pay our bills and putting food on the table, protecting ourselves and our loved ones will take precedence and hopefully things will not get out of control. The increase in self-defense items like guns, knives, etc. will be the norm and not the exception.
At the end of the day let’s all try to help and serve each other, loving and lifting others and this one was a tough one for me… forgive.

Vince Nigro/MS