2022 crystal ball
revisiting an annual tradition...
In the spirit of the late Bill Safire comes the following multiple-choice test. Participation voluntary.
1. The pandemic will
a. finally abate.
b. continue with more variants.
c. improve and worsen in cycles, alongside resistance to standard public health measures.
2. The world economy will
a. see rates of inflation rise to the highest level in modern memory.
b. stagnate and then recover.
c. enter a severe global debt crisis.
3. The 2022 US midterm elections will see
a. Donald Trump become speaker of the house of representatives.
b. better results for the Democrats than expected.
c. both a. and b.
4. The EU will
a. quietly begin paving the way for Bre-entry.
b. divide over misunderstandings between new governments in Germany and (possibly) France.
c. experience another crisis of impotence amidst Russian blackmail and/or loss of winter energy supplies, followed by another exodus of migrants during the spring and summer.
5. China will
a. start an unexpectedly nasty and public territorial dispute with Japan.
b. finally lose its temper over North Korea.
c. fail to insulate its economy from the possible global debt crisis noted above in 2c.
6. The winter Olympics will
a. be cancelled due to (diplomatic) illness.
b. see China win the most gold medals.
c. see Iran and Israel engage in ski diplomacy.
7. The greatest political comeback will be
a. the American neocons.
b. the Cuban communist party.
c. Silvio Berlusconi.
Talleyrand won’t reveal the answers, apart from the (worst-kept) secret key to Safire’s wisdom: plus ça change…
Happy Christmas.