What will the big stories of 2018 be?
I think that North Korea will continue to be a major topic but we’ll have no more idea of what to do about it in 2018 than we did in 2017. Since doing nothing is probably our best course of action, IMO that’s all for the good.
Syria will probably continue to be a major topic. What appears likely to happen is that the Assad government will have re-asserted control over most of the country by year’s end, in defiance of the predictions of Western pundits. DAESH appears to have collapsed as an incipient caliphate but all of those Gulf-, European- and American-based radicals will have returned home. Will there be an uptick in terrorist attacks? I think the likelihood is that there will be.
Most of the sexual abuse/harassment story has been concentrated within the infotainment sector. Will the revelations continue? Will the revelations spread?
Big as that story has been within the movie industry, it isn’t the biggest story in that industry. The bigger story is that after nearly a decade of little or no growth, total movie box office has actually declined sharply. Is Hollywood being disrupted? I think that may be one of the big stories of 2018.
In a situation that can only be deemed bizarre the Trump/Russia/collusion story may continue to be one of the biggest stories of 2018 and prove to be a “nothingburger”.
I feel confident in suggesting that the midterm elections will receive an enormous amount of attention from the news media. Will they receive as much attention from the voters or will the voters maintain their typical midterm elections torpor?
Any other ideas for the biggest stories of 2018?
Nafta and Brexit. In 2018 the fates of both will be determined.
Exports constitute 28% of the UK’s economy compared with 12% of the U. S. economy. My offhand guess is that Brexit will paradoxically increase the UK’s exports while reducing its imports.
Is anyone demanding that NAFTA be ended here? That’s a serious question, not rhetorical. What I’ve been hearing is for reform of NAFTA which strikes me as sensible. Isn’t that what Trump has said about it as well? BTW, the studies I’ve read of the effects of NAFTA have suggested that the trade pact hasn’t done much for the U. S.
The barrier to renegotiating NAFTA is probably Mexico which has benefited significantly from it.
However, trade negotiations tend not to be big news in the U. S. I doubt that we’ll pay much attention to it one way or another.
Yes, the Mexicans don’t want changes and the US feels it’s not getting much out of Nafta hence the possibility of talks collapsing and Trump trying to withdrawal.
Trade negotiations are usually dry affairs but a few Trump tweets and CNN will be covering it 24/7.
NK is an open book, dependent upon what the fat little shit does.
The wifey plays golf with a former very prominent person at the FCC. What we have seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg. I presume this is not a surprise to anyone. Will people tire of the story? Will victims and faux victim overplay their hand? Only time will tell; but its a target rich environment.
Trump/Russia/collusion will succumb to a ju jitsu move.
And in the biggest news, and biggest surprise, Stan Bowman will pull a blockbuster trade enabling Jonathon Toews to break out of his catatonic state, and the Blackhawks to realize they need a body in front of the net……….propelling them to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Well, you know, it could happen. Or is that an expression of resentment?
Down for the dollar as Trump destroys it.
“NK is an open book, dependent upon what the fat little shit does.”
Now, now. He is your president too so watch your language.
Steve