2023 Predictions
2023 Predictions
Junious Ricardo
Stanton
Prediction: to declare or indicate in advance especially: foretell on the basis of observation, experience, or scientific
reason - Merriam Webster Dictionary
Every year I offer predictions about what we will see and
experience in the coming year. I am not especially clairvoyant, I’m not a seer,
prophet or oracle; nor do I claim or pretend to be any of these things. I make
my predictions based upon current and past trends, events and my observations by
studying them, but most importantly by discerning the consciousness, values and
motivations of people.
Human beings are creatures of habit. We repeat
things over and over again often unconsciously, without thought or preparation.
However there are those among us who are exceptionally greedy, evil and
megalomaniacal. Current events are rarely random, spontaneous or unprovoked and
even when they are, there are always causative factors. Human beings like most
mammals are hierarchical beings, there is always a pecking order, an
interpersonal and group power dynamic involved; whether it is based on
charisma, beneficence, competence, cunning, brute force or all of the above.
This is how we have ordered society from time immemorial. We always had, will have
leaders, influencers and check holders even in informal groups. Often the real leaders
are behind the scenes. Today we often
refer to them as the shot callers or the powers that be (TPTB).
Behind most of the major events
occurring in the world today are the powers that be. Based on this reality and
the fact humans are creatures of habits molded by people in “authority” whether
they are out front and transparent or covert and clandestine we can predict future
events and trends; so here are my predictions for 2023.
Last year I wrote: “Prediction: the price gauging by
Pfizer, Moderna and J&J in particular and Big Pharma in general will
continue into 2022 and beyond. These inoculations can not, will not eradicate
COVID, the fear porn and hysteria will continue. The media will continue to
suppress the fact Coronaviruses mutate which is why vaccines can not and will
never eradicate them! Look for the Pi Rho, Sigma Tau variants in 2022.”
In 2023 I predict Big Pharma, the government, media and the powers
that be will continue their fear porn campaigns about omnipresent contagious pathogens,
they’ll continue to push vaccines and boosters while totally ignoring the proven
science about the human immune system as a powerful protector and healing
agent.
I predict the powers that be will continue to gaslight us about their
mRNA concoctions being safe and effective despite the overwhelming evidence and
increasing studies proving they are directly related to death, massive harm and
adverse health effects to millions of people!
Last year I
predicted inflation would continue to soar, I wrote: “We are being lied to; it
is not supply chain disruptions causing escalating prices, it is the increased
money in circulation which is devaluing the currency whereby the increase in
the money supply lessens the purchasing power of the dollars in existence.
Inflation is actually caused when the Federal Reserve Bank (a consortium of
privately owned banks) increases the money supply in circulation!”
In 2023 I predict the inflation rate will
continue to rise, that the policies of the Federal Reserve Bank will not dampen
inflation and their interest rate increases will cause economic decline
(stagflation and recession) and suffering for the working poor and middle
class. We will continue to experience the disastrous effects of economic policy
on our purchasing power and our ability to keep up with the rising costs of
living.
Full
disclosure, I did not foresee the US
withdrawing from Afghanistan
in 2021 after twenty years of occupation, nor the Russian “Special Military
Operation” in Ukraine
in 2022. However I do now believe both of these events are directly related.
The US has been trying to
weaken Russia politically
and economically since Putin stopped the US
and NATO from doing to Syria
what they did to Libya and Iraq.
In 1967 Martin Luther King Jr.
said, “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today is my own government.”
That trend will continue as the US
becomes more and more directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict. In 2023, I
predict the US and its NATO
lapdogs will escalate the “proxy war” in Ukraine to the point it spirals into
a regional conflict. I predict many of the troops that left Afghanistan in 2022 will be redeployed to Eastern Europe in 2023. How intense this escalation will
be or how long it will last I cannot say. I will say it will be just as if not
more perilous than the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis that almost plunged the world
into a nuclear holocaust.
In conjunction with this trend, I
also predict the world will continue to choose sides. The US/NATO/Israel
alliance is not the team most of the world will chose to play with or for. More
and more nations will choose the BRICS alliance; more will partner with Russia and China
which will in turn create more tension and angst in the West in general and the
US
in particular. I hope saner heads prevail but that has not been the trend in
recent years otherwise we wouldn’t be where we are now.
Fratricide, homicides, mass
shootings and interpersonal violence were off the hook in 2021 and 2022. Sadly
I predict this trend will continue in 2023. Mental illness, substance abuse and
suicide are rampant in this country! The misery index is sky high. Nevertheless,
I am an optimist at heart. I believe we
can do and be better personally, as a people and as a nation. Pray for Peace,
wisdom, sanity, optimum health and prosperity in 2023, we’ll need it!
-30-
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa
Junious Ricardo Stanton
From
December 26th to January 1, millions of people around the world
participate and experience Kwanzaa, a celebration based upon African and
indigenous people’s values and traditions. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana
Karenga at a time when Diasporan Africans were breaking free from an oppressive
Eurocentric hegemonic worldview and culture. It was designed to create and build
a set of common core values, instill an appreciation for unity and build a foundation
for empowerment and community renewal. Since its creation in the US,
Kwanzaa is now accepted and celebrated as an established holiday all around the
world!
Over the years the celebration has
had its detractors. Some opposed it because they thought it threatened or
competed with Christmas. Some said it was “a made up holiday”, some said or
implied it was too Black, that it was not really African while others resisted
learning about it, learning the words or they trivialized the principles behind
it.
Others embraced the concept and have
faithfully kept the Kwanzaa tradition despite its detractors. What the
detractors fail to realize is all holy days (holidays) are man made, they are
all invented or “made up”; every single one of them. Each and every holiday in
existence is the creation of the ethnic groups, institutions and culture who
invented them for their own particular reasons to meet their specific needs. Every
holiday in every ethnic group and every culture was “made up”. They were
created by that particular group to meet a specific need, to generate a common
esprit décor among the people or to mold a belief or way of being within the
group..
Christmas or the Christ Mass is a
made up holiday. It was invented by the founders of the Catholic Church to
reinforce their story about the birth of Jesus. The “Church Fathers” decreed
that Jesus’ birth was on December 25th. The fact that December 25th
coincides with the Winter Solstice which was also the stated time of the births
of other avatars and savior gods which predated Christianity by hundreds of
years is no coincidence.
Every holiday we celebrate in this country is
made up. The Fourth of July is a made up holiday as are: Hanukkah, Easter,
Labor Day, Veterans Day, Carnival, Bastille Day, Mardi Gras and Juneteenth. Yet
we don’t question them or their significance do we? No. Many are based upon myths or other people’s
culture yet we still acknowledge and celebrate them without question.
Kwanzaa is based
upon African and indigenous traditions. It has no religious significance
whatsoever, it is not a religious holiday, nor was it designed to compete with
Hanukkah or Christmas. Yes Kwanzaa is African inspired and Black, so what? It was created at a time when liberation
minded Blacks were attempting to assert our agency, encourage empowerment, and
establish an identity free from our externally induced internalized
self-hatred. What’s wrong with focusing on
Blackness, Black empowerment, family, community and unity? What’s inappropriate
about wanting a wholesome community, harmony, togetherness, cohesion and
prosperity, especially in times like these?
Kwanzaa
is not a threat to Christianity, your pastor, or your religious doctrines and
dogma. Kwanzaa is no threat to your Imam or Koran’s teachings if you are a
Muslim or any other religion for that matter.
As far as learning new words is
concerned, we do it all the time! Black people are always making up slang words
and phrases or changing the meaning of English words, its part of our rhythm,
creative swag and hipness. Eventually our slang almost always becomes part of
the American vocabulary and lexicon.
We should be open minded and
willing to learn about our past, synthesize what we’ve learned and apply it for
the betterment of our lives. This is the essence of wisdom, what our African
ancestors called Sankofa; an Akan
word which means “to go back and fetch”. Dr. Karenga was encouraging us to look
back, to learn about and from our history, our greatness and apply it to our
daily lives.
The word Kwanzaa means “first
fruits” harkening to a time when African people were close to the land,
planting, harvesting, raising animals and being thankful for nature’s bounty. But
most of us are urban dwellers in a post industrial transitional society today,
we don’t know much about agriculture or the deep significance of living and
working close to nature. We need to learn about nature, the cycles of the sun,
moon and stars because they are part of our legacy and traditions.
Another good thing about Kwanzaa is,
it’s not a materialistic celebration; you won’t go into debt celebrating
Kwanzaa. Kuumba is one of the seven
principles which means creativity; we are encouraged to use our imaginations to
make gifts rather than going to the store and buying. Kwanzaa tasks us to envision a better reality
for ourselves as a people.
We are becoming too materialistic,
too obsessed with gizmos and gadgets to our own detriment. We are becoming too
detached from ourselves and our families. Technology is minimizing face to face,
soul to soul interaction to the point we think pushing a button to like
something means we’ve taken concrete action. We think joining a social network
means we have real friends but the fact of the matter is, we don’t interact
with these people on meaningful levels.
Kwanzaa is about gathering together,
it encourages being socially engaged and interactive with family, friends and
the community, sharing common values (the seven principles) and reinforcing a
positive vision for ourselves and our community. During times like these the principles of
Kwanzaa should make it even more attractive and valuable. Happy Kwanzaa!
-30-
Taking Stock of 2022
Taking Stock of 2022
Junious Ricardo
Stanton
As we prepare to enter a new year,
it is imperative we look back and considers certain aspects of the past year. In
many ways 2022 was extremely volatile and contentious and it appears 2023 will
be more of the same.
We are living through the most contentious era
of public health policy in history! The corporate media, government, Big Pharma,
unelected and unaccountable individuals/entities conspired using the guise of
addressing a supposed novel virus to alter the world as we knew it. In 2020 COVID-19
was used as a pretext to shut down global economies which sent millions into
unemployment, creating destitution and dependency on government largess which
in turn furthered the bankruptcy of many Western nations, ushered in totalitarian
measures, set in motion major supply chain shortages and accelerated an already
existent agenda of eugenics and depopulation. Now some of the ruling class is
calling for a pandemic amnesty.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/covid-response-forgiveness/671879/
They want us to forget about it, get over it and move on. That is probably not
going to happen given the acrimonious attacks the government, media and Big
Pharma unleashed on skeptics and free thinkers; how the powers that be
suppressed discussion, dissent and debate on the COVID issue! https://www.globalresearch.ca/dear-friends-sorry-announce-genocide/5782022
2022 is coming to a close and we
need to examine a few things so we are better prepared to enter the New Year.
We need to pause amidst the daily grind and take stock of our lives and what is
going on around us locally, nationally and internationally. We need to be more
aware of what is happening and discern whether or not the direction we are heading
personally, professionally or as a community is the best for us.
One thing is certain we have not been
told the truth, we have been lied to, deceived and duped. Project Censored is a media watchdog organization that monitors the
news and what is not reported and they compile an annual list of the top most
intensely censored stories of the ending year. You can see their list at https://www.projectcensored.org/category/top-25-censored-news-stories-2022/
Take a look at this list you will
find some extremely interesting topics and egregious issues on it. For me
numbers: 21, 20, 19,18,12,11,10,7,6, and 2 stick out the most but there are a series
of other topics such as “dark money” and its influence on politics and policy
we need to be aware of.
The war in Ukraine is
another issue we have been lied to about. In February 2022 following a 2014 US
sponsored coup d’etat in Ukraine, fourteen years of Ukrainian attacks on
Russian speaking people in the Donbass region of Ukraine and the US moving to
extend Ukrainian membership in NATO Russia
initiated what Putin calls a Special
Military Operation designed to protect Russia’s interests and eliminate the
neo-Nazi attacks on Russian speaking people. Putin’s response was similar to
the US’s reaction to Russia building missile sites in Cuba which
triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1960. That almost led to
nuclear war. As we close out 2022, the US
and NATO is engaged in an indirect war against Russia. Economic sanctions are an
act of war, supplying weapons and tactical assistance to Ukraine for use against Russia is an
act of war, training troops and sending mercenaries to fight against Russian
troops is an act of war! Make no mistake this could go full blast in 2023!
For what, why? Ukraine is a failed state. It is a
money laundering and kickback machine taking our tax dollars to make the
Military Industrial Complex, the Democratic Party and certain political hacks
like Hunter Biden rich. Very little of this is reported in the corporate
mainstream or digital media.
https://www.globalresearch.ca/defense-aid-ukraine-tops-20-billion-new-275m-package-announced/5801981
, https://www.cato.org/commentary/nato-vs-russia-proxy-war-ukraine-could-become-real-war
As we enter 2023 the world is
choosing sides and Uncle Sam is not the team most of the world wants to play on
or with! What is called the Global South
is not drinking Uncle Sam’s Kool-Aid. “The Global South is made up of Africa, Latin America and the
Caribbean, Pacific Islands, and Asia, excluding Israel, Japan,
and South Korea.
It is generally seen as home to Brazil,
India, Indonesia and China,
which, along with Nigeria
and Mexico,
are the largest Southern states in terms of land area and population.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_North_and_Global_South
Most of the nations on this list have rejected the US/NATO
position on Ukraine and many
are siding with Russia
attempting to join the BRICS alliance and strengthen ties with Russia and China.
As we close out 2022 we are seeing the West attempt to counter
this trend and persuade Africa to align with
them. Germany sponsored a
German-African Business Summit in Johannesburg South African on December 6-8
and the US held the fourth
US African Leaders Summit on December 13-16 in Washington D.C.
Both of these meetings were attempts by the West to bribe, cajole and persuade
African leaders to side with them. Time will tell how this plays out.
As we leave 2022 let’s determine to be more aware of the world
around us, take more interest in and engage in ways that improve ourselves and the
world.
-30-
Preparing for the Holidays
Preparing for the Holidays
Junious Ricardo
Stanton
As the
holidays approach, it is important to remember this season can be especially stressful,
sad or unpleasant for yourself and others due to the loss of loved ones,
personal situations or the general melancholy shorter days and colder weather
often bring on. Holidays are expected to be fun and enjoyable but often they
are not. Don’t let the fact you are a little down stress you out even more.
Sometimes we just aren’t into it
for whatever reason. Know that you are not alone, many are feeling the blues,
the blahs and depressed during this time of year. If you are sad or depressed
perhaps a change in thinking or refocusing your priorities will boost your
spirits. You don’t have to keep up with the Jones, buy and spend beyond your
means to enjoy the holiday. You don’t
have to bust your budget to enjoy the season. Your worth is not based upon your
bank account. Your value as a person; parent, friend, spouse or relative is not
based on what you gave or what you received. Life is more than gifts or one
day, life is beyond the holidays.
If you are not home or you aren’t
able to get home for the holiday, find a way to stay connected with your family
and friends. Use the technology to keep in touch. Reach out to family, friends
and loved ones to stay connected to your sources of tradition, belonging, engagement
and emotional well-being. If you don’t have anyone, don’t be afraid to venture
into a new social circle or network. Be open to the possibilities of something
different and the potential for new experiences.
If you are feeling melancholy or
sad over the loss of a loved one or a breakup, remember you can control your
thoughts and feelings. While images and feeling can and often do well up inside
and pop out, you can get quiet and deliberately and consciously redirect your
thoughts to something more pleasant, more tranquil and serene. Think of the fun
times, the joy and happiness of past holidays, remember your loved ones fondly
and think of them as being well and whole like they were during the best of
times.
Sharing your feelings with a close
friend, family members, a pastor, Imam or counselor may help lift y our spirits
and help you refocus. Exercising may help and the new physical regimen will
help you sleep better. Get up and go
out, do something beyond yourself, volunteer, do something beneficial for
others to take your mind off your troubles. Try something new, go somewhere
different you’ll be surprised to see how many people are out and about in
hotels, resort areas and the restaurants that are open.
If you are feeling stressed and
overwhelmed because the dinner is at your place, ask for help. Ask friends or relatives
to bring a side dish, a dessert or libations to help lessen the cost and lighten
the work load. Get your rest and plan a schedule so you are not running around helter-skelter
buying food, presents, cooking and baking at the last minuet.
Family dinners can be stressful for numerous
reasons. Often we revert back to whatever role we played in the family when we
were younger. Our relatives still want to see us the way we were back in the
day and not as the people we are now. You may have to gently and lovingly remind
them you are grown now.
If there has been tension, discord and
disagreement decide to be the one who brings the peaceful spirit, be forgiving,
be the mature one, and take the high road for the sake of having a less
stressful event. Don’t allow politics, religious differences or current events
to dictate the tone and mood of your gathering. Family ties and friendships are
the common bond that unites you; let this be the guiding light. Focus on being
together put the cell phones away; this is a time for genuine interaction and
fellowship with family and friends.
You can always say no, if you are
not feeling well, your schedule is too demanding or your home needs too much
work to prepare for a big family dinner. Don’t allow expectations and requests
to stress you out. The same goes for your kids, godchildren and relatives, best
case scenario if you exchange gifts, learn what they want early so you can save
for it, shop and get their gifts early rather than last minute
Be mindful of your and your family
members’ health. Don’t compromise your health regimen. Don’t overload on
alcohol, sweets or foods you know you’re not supposed to eat or that aren’t
good for you, your family and friends. Introduce some new healthy items, they
make like them.
We are social beings, holidays are
a time we can come together to rekindle family ties and strengthen our bonds of
friendship. Family, togetherness and love are priority one, don’t forget that.
Don’t allow shorter days, reluctance to drive at night or past hurts to deter
you from enjoying this season. Make up your mind to have an enjoyable and safe
holiday season.
Peace,
