• How were my Predictions last year?

    Time to check out how I did with the predictions I made on New Year’s Day 2024.

    1  General Election in UK – Labour landslide. PM – Sir Keir Starmer. (No great change in policies from the Tory government that Labour will replace).

    Yes – fulfilled in every way.

    2  US politics will continue to be dominated by Donald Trump

    Yes

    3  In the US Presidential election in November there will be victory for the Republican Party.

    Yes

    4  AI/Deepfakes have a significant effect in electoral politics.

    Not really – AI/Deepfakes are present but there’s no real evidence that they swung any particular election

    5  Conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine unresolved by end of 2024.

    Alas Yes

    6  No progress for those wanting marriage equality in the Church of England.

    Alas Yes

    7  Twitter goes bust or is sold or both.

    Not quite. Twitter feels pretty wounded but still Xists.

    8  The world will be warmer in 2024 than ever before.

    Yes

    9  Another country will join Nato.

    Yes, Sweden in March.

    A new agreement is reached between the UK and Greece on the Elgin/Parthenon Marbles that opens the door for at least some of them to be displayed in Athens.

    Close but no cigar.

     

    Not a bad year – 7 direct hits with a few misses.

One response to “Wars and rumours of wars”

  1. Alan McManus Avatar

    Another beautiful and eminently sensible blogpost, Kelvin. Though, I’m trying to think of Scottish values. “Fair play, cricket and a stiff upper lip” being famous *English* prep school virtues (though Anglo-Saxon territory was mostly won through betrayal of hospitality anathema to the Celts, countries the English colonised beat them at their own game, and the Japanese have a lot more self-control than English football hooligans abroad and loutish lords throughout history). It’s just not on to rewrite UK cultural/ colonial history in this manner. The ancient rivalries on these islands have been devious and twisted and the evils we’ve done to each other are only outweighed by the havoc we’ve combined to wreak abroad. And all of our history only proves your main point: attempt to counter values with the sword and they will thrive despite you. For good, or for ill.

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