![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/305\/2024\/12\/8601526271_3271eaa895_c-3-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWe\u2019ve made our predictions for the new year.\u00a0 Today I\u2019d like us to think about what we know is actually in store for us in 2025, though we don\u2019t know exactly how some of these issues will play out.\u00a0 I also want to look at some predictions from experts and what the expectations are from the general public, both in America and globally.<\/p>\n
What to Watch For<\/h4>\n
Trump\u2019s Tariffs<\/strong>.\u00a0 Will President Trump in his second administration really apply the 20% and higher tariffs that he has been talking about?\u00a0 Or will he use that as a threat to get more favorable treatment for American products in world markets?\u00a0 If he does apply them, what will that do?\u00a0 Start up major inflation again, plus a job-killing retraction of American industry because other countries will retaliate with their own tariffs on our products?\u00a0 Or will the cut-off of imports mean an upsurge in American industry as it fills the void of imported products with those that are American-made?\u00a0 We\u2019ll just have to see what happens.<\/p>\n Ukraine & Russia<\/strong>.\u00a0 Trump says that he will insist that Europe do more for Ukraine, increasing their defense spending more than the 2% that NATO requires but is not getting.\u00a0 If that takes, the Ukraine will get more help than it is getting already.\u00a0 The new Vice President J. D. Vance has said that he doesn\u2019t care what happens to Ukraine, reflecting a desire many Republicans to just stop sending so many of our weapons into that conflict.\u00a0 Might Trump\u2019s threats to cut off the Ukraine lead to a negotiated ceasefire that would stop the war?\u00a0 Again, we\u2019ll just have to see.<\/p>\n Israel & Gaza.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Israel has made peace with Hezbollah and Iran by defeating them.\u00a0 The Israelis have also conquered Gaza, though Hamas continues to exist in a much degraded form.\u00a0 When will Israel just declare victory and go home?\u00a0 What role might the new Trump administration play in that?<\/p>\n China<\/strong>.\u00a0 What will China do?\u00a0 It has been building up its military and its technology in a threatening way.\u00a0 And yet it is facing major economic problems.\u00a0 And it is doubtless looking at Russia, realizing that a mighty military force can be decimated by a seemingly weaker power, given the capabilities of modern military technology.<\/p>\n DOGE.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Will Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy really be able to cut trillions out of federal spending, eliminate unneeded agencies, and thus drastically shrink the administrative state?\u00a0 If so, that would be an achievement for the ages.\u00a0 Or will the entrenched political interests be successful in their resistance?<\/p>\n Pentagon.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Can the American military be reformed\u2013its leadership strengthened, its recruitment problems solved, its technology updated, and its moral improved\u2013so that it becomes a formidable force once again that can deter our potential enemies and overwhelmingly defeat any enemy that decides to take us on?<\/p>\n Immigration<\/strong>.\u00a0 President Trump has vowed to deport immigrants who are here illegally.\u00a0 That would be a huge task.\u00a0 His administration is planning to start with the thousands whom a court has already served with a deportation notice, mostly because they have been convicted of committing crimes.\u00a0 It\u2019s a scandal that they are still here.\u00a0 Expect huge outcries about the deportation process.\u00a0 Will Trump be able to pull this off?\u00a0 And if he does, what will the loss of millions of consumers and workers do to the economy?\u00a0 The construction and agricultural industries are already sounding alarms.\u00a0 Will American workers fill the void?\u00a0 We\u2019ll have to see what happens.<\/p>\n Various experts are making their predictions. The investment banking company Saxo<\/a> enlisted some to make forecasts to help their clients [my comments in brackets]:<\/p>\n Trump 2.0 blows up the US dollar<\/strong><\/p>\n As the new Trump administration turns the global financial system on its head with huge tariffs, the world scrambles to find alternatives to the dollar.\u00a0 [Me:\u00a0 There will still be no alternatives to the dollar.\u00a0 A trade war might end in America\u2019s favor.\u00a0 Or it might not.]<\/p>\n China unleashes CNY 50 trillion stimulus to reflate its economy<\/strong><\/p>\n Electrification boom ends OPEC<\/strong><\/p>\n As electric vehicles become more affordable, could oil-rich OPEC become irrelevant in 2025 and find itself on the ash heap of history?\u00a0 [Me:\u00a0 I highly doubt it!\u00a0 We\u2019ll still be using oil, including to generate electricity, to a long time to come.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 See the next prediction.]<\/p>\n US imposes AI data centre tax as power prices run wild<\/strong><\/p>\n With tech giants sucking up power supplies for their new AI data centres, utility bills skyrocket and an outraged public demands action.\u00a0 [Not just AI but EVs and cryptocurrencies will suck up power supplies.\u00a0 When utility bills skyrocket, the outraged public will turn to cheap oil for their energy needs.]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n But what are people expecting<\/em> in 2025?<\/p>\n Americans<\/strong><\/p>\n According to a survey by You.Gov<\/a>, 18% of Americans think 2025 will be \u201ca great year for the country\u201d; 21% think it will be\u00a0 good; 16% think it will be OK;\u00a0 17% think it will be bad; 18% think it will be terrible.\u00a0 \u00a0Among Republicans, 69% believe 2025 will be a great or a good year; among Independents, 29% believe that; among Democrats, 19% have that level of optimism.<\/p>\n And yet, Americans are much more optimistic about their own personal prospects.\u00a0 Among Americans as a whole, nearly half (49%) believe they themselves will have a great (21%) or good (27%) year;<\/p>\n Breaking it down politically, 64% of Republicans expect they will have a good or great year; 42% of Democrats think that; as do 40% of Independents.<\/p>\n Globally<\/strong><\/p>\n The Danish international marketing company Ipsos surveyed people in 33 countries.\u00a0 Here is a summary of its findings.<\/a>\u00a0 (Go to the site for details.)<\/p>\n \n<\/p><\/div>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We’ve made our predictions for the new year.\u00a0 Today I’d like us to think about what we know is actually in store for us in 2024, though we don’t know exactly how some of these issues will play out.\u00a0 I also want to look at some predictions from experts and what the expectations are from the general public, both in America and globally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1281,"featured_media":79471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,42],"tags":[3518,15670],"class_list":["post-79453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holidays","category-social-science","tag-new-years","tag-outlook-for-2025"],"yoast_head":"\nOther Predictions<\/h4>\n
Expectations<\/h4>\n
\n