From The Ramparts

   

                                                          2019 Predictions

                                                      Junious Ricardo Stanton

            As we begin a new year while I don’t have a crystal ball or the power of clairvoyance, I am able to see trends and patterns that may continue well into 2019. Much of this will be unsettling because the US Empire is in rapid decline both on the foreign and domestic levels. But it doesn’t have to play out this way.

Here are a few things to watch for in 2019 that I am fairly certain we will see. On the national political level the Democrats have taken over the majority in the US House of Representatives, look for them to: continue the canard that the Russians hacked the 2016 election despite the fact there is absolutely no proof that occurred, and look for them to totally ignore the fact Israel and Britain actually tried to influenced the 2016 election. Look for more government gridlock and lack of productivity; we will see increased partisan bickering, more senseless acrimony and a protracted government shut down.

 We will see the continuation of fiscal irresponsibility, whereby the federal government will spend more than it takes in thereby increasing the federal deficit way past the twenty-one trillion dollars already in existence. The Trump/Republican tax cuts have resulted in lower revenues and there has been no accompanying cut in spending so the consequences will shoot the deficit higher and higher.

The accounts of fiscal insanity are all around us, “After fiscal 2018’s deficit increased from $666 billion to $779 billion, the first month of fiscal 2019’s deficit increased from $63 billion to $100 billion. This was largely driven by increased spending in Medicare (up $28 billion) and defense ($9 billion). The jump in Medicare may be an anomaly, but it does look like this year’s deficit is on a path to break $1 trillion. Not to be overlooked is the interest on debt increasing by $4 billion, which at the same monthly amount will add about $50 billion to the deficit in fiscal 2019; and should continue to grow.” Trump’s Economy: The Federal Budget Is On a Path To $1 Trillion Chuck Jones https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2018/11/30/trumps-economy-the-federal-budget-deficit-is-on-a-path-to-1-trillion/#17834a2231c3

Despite Trump saying he will bring US troops home from Syria and Afghanistan the US Empire is definitely not contracting. The US will still have over eight hundred bases around the world in one hundred fifty countries not counting drone bases and secret covert operations stations. Look for the empire to maintain its bases and to continue to try and extend its global hegemony https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/06/us-military-bases-around-the-world-119321 and keep imperialism as a top priority.

 This massive expenditure of funds for “defense” and empire will further drain resources that could otherwise go to repairing the US’s crumbling infrastructure, create more affordable housing; provide efficient, low cost health care for all Americans and reduce the overall cost of government. The US will continue to provoke Russia and threaten China, Iran and North Korea while plotting and war gaming actual wars against these countries. https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-strategies-of-global-warfare-war-with-china-and-russia-washingtons-military-design-in-the-asia-pacific-2/5541976

We will see the US economy take a downward turn due Trump’s tariffs and trade wars with China, European allies as much of the world moves away from the US dollar as the world reserve currency, further diminishing US influence in the world. The US economy will be adversely impacted by the Federal Reserve Banks’ monetary policies, their interest rate hikes and how it deals with the money supply (inflation or deflation) which will impact the interest rates on mortgages, credit cards and loans for ordinary Americans.

In 2019 the opioid crisis will continue and unless we as a people change our attitudes, lifestyle and outlook, the two year trend of lower life expectancy will also continue.

 The good news is we have agency and the power to live our lives differently no matter what is going on around us. We can choose to eat better, drink more water get enough sleep and treat our neighbors like neighbors instead of strangers. We can choose to be in it but not of it as the US Empire, its political and economic systems implode due to moral rot, corruption and malfeasance and work to make where we are better and more humane despite what the 1% does.

We can change the tone and tenor of our lives and our immediate surroundings.  We can reject what the media tells us to believe, buy and be like. We can stop imitating the “reality shows” and rethink what it means to be kind and supportive to our coworkers and neighbors. We can be more positive and come together to make our communities better. If we do this 2019 can be better. We can think about peace and harmony and make it real in our lives and our immediate environment and make the nay sayers and negative prognosticators wrong. We have the power to make 2019 a good year.

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