Predictions for 2022

The time of year  for predicting  some significant events for the following year seems to come round with apparent increasing rapidity each year and the last few days of 2021 are no different.

There seem this time to be more fears for the next year than I can recall since starting this blog some 14 years ago. However beginning with  the least fearsome prediction:

Newspapers - these are clearly becoming more and more online in form with fewer paper editions being sold each year. I recall  predicting when The Independent newspaper was still a printed paper read, that that paper would close altogether. In fact it became  a virtual, that is online-only read but far more left wing than independent. Merger with The Guardian would seem sensible especially as the latter's funder is protesting at the cost; this is the first prediction for 2022.

Now for more serious predictions; The Russians having pushed some 100,000 troops to their border with Ukraine will surely be becoming under huge pressure from the soldiers concerned and their families to let them return to base and home very soon.  The options now may therefore be shortly to stand the troops down or to cross the border into Ukraine. Sadly I predict the latter although troops on both sides would then begin to be bogged down for weeks.

The North Koreans witnessing now as they are forced to, the killing and slaying of some citizens for trivial offences may already in private be hugely critical of Kim Jon-ung. Openly protesting against him will surely take place in 2022 with all the violent attempts to repress such, is likely to bring from the  state.

The Iranian attempts to develop nuclear bombs are continuing, with the West's endeavours to negotiate a settlement seeming very weak. Israel will take its own actions to try to destroy Iran's nuclear bomb programme.

Chinese influences in the world  increasingly concern the West. Economic influences themselves should not be of too great  concern as people need affordable inexpensive clothes for example which the Chinese produce. However the Chinese are also  forcibly endeavouring to prevent the minority  Uyghurs from practising their so economic boycotts of China may be an answer, which will increase next year in my view despite some western investment there, for example in  cars and in  private schools.

Northern Ireland is  in my view causing the USA's President Biden to maintain some high tariffs on UK steel unlike those of the EU, in order to pressurise the UK to cede NI issues in the current negotiations with the EU. In my view although Biden has his own rather more serious problems, he will succeed with this one.

As for the UK more generally, I predict that in 2022 we will have another  Prime Minister who is a woman.

Almost  finally; Covid-19. This sadly will continue during 2022 and the Omicron variant will  in turn be replaced by yet another in much the same way as occurs with influenza.

And finally - A very happy and holy Christmas to all who read this blog and may we all have a fulfilling 2022.