(ThyBlackMan.com) Over the last century, years that ended in “8” have played an outsized role in history. Some prominent examples are:
- 1918 – With the end of World War I came the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the formation of a new set of nation-states in what we have come to call the Middle East i.e. Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iraq to name a few. These countries are front and center in many of today’s conflicts.
- 1948 – The modern state of Israel was founded, which again, continues to shape geopolitics into this era. The assassination of Mahatma Gandhi dampened hope for a peaceful partition of India and Pakistan; bitter enemies to this day.
- 1968 – The Tet Offensive showed that the Viet Nam war was unwinnable but it continued to rage on for several years. Assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy changed the political landscape in America and Richard Nixon captured the presidency.
- 2008 – Barack Obama became the first African American to win the White House.
So as we begin another year that ends in “8” we’ll see what role events of the coming year will play in shaping not only America but also the world. Clearly, the rise of Trump’s brand of “populism”, 
infused as it is with nativism, racism and isolationism, has already begun to have effects here and abroad as well, among allies and adversaries alike. The potential for major conflicts in trade relations, international treaties like the climate accord and NAFTA and even war hasn’t been as high at any time since the end of World War II. With the “America First” stance assumed by the current administration, the U.S. worldview has taken on a zero-sum approach where there are no “win-win” solutions sought, only winners and losers.
Here are some things to watch for in 2018 that could shape our world into the future:
- Middle East – The U.S. recognition of Jerusalem has had ripple effects around the world. So far, only Guatemala has stated its intention to follow suit while the rest of the world issued a stern rebuke via a U.N. General Assembly resolution of disapproval. The “two state” solution to the Palestinian, Israeli conflict seems all but dead. Saudi Arabia and Iran continue their proxy wars for regional dominance with Russia and the U.S. often on opposing sides.
- Europe – The United Kingdom and the European Union will have to hammer out their “Brexit” agreement and it remains to be seen if other counties will attempt to leave the EU. The leaders of Germany and France have each said that the U.S., under its current leadership, is an unreliable partner and that Europe will have to chart its own course. Given Europe’s history of armed conflicts, it remains to be seen what the absence of the U.S. as an arbiter of disagreements will result in. The immigration debate will continue to be one of the defining issues for European politics.
- Asia – At its most recent communist party gathering at the end of last year, China clearly stated its intention to move to the center of the world stage. As the world’s second largest economy it is investing heavily in infrastructure projects around the globe spreading its influence. Japan is looking to amend its U.S. imposed post-World War II constitution to allow it to rebuild its military. Tensions on the Korean peninsula could boil over into a shooting war and the North has declared itself a “nuclear state”.
- Africa – With the collapse of the Islamic State’s “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria, radical Islam is increasingly looking to take root in parts of North, West and East Africa. Its presence there has drawn the attention of the U.S. military with beefed up forces and a more forward-leaning mission to counter the radicals. Immigrants fleeing war, famine and economic deprivation have been flooding into Europe exacerbating ethnic tensions.
- United States – The election of Donald Trump in 2016 dramatically altered the domestic landscape. While the economy has been improving, thanks largely to the heavy lifting during the Obama administration, Trump’s presidency has reignited the “culture wars” with a vengeance. The polarization between Republicans and Democrats, red states and blue states, urban and rural populations and those with college degrees and those without is tearing at the very fabric of our democracy. Fresh off passing budget busting tax cuts for big corporations and the rich, Republicans in congress have stated their intention to pursue entitlement reform (budget cuts) for social safety net programs serving poor, sick and elderly Americans. Meanwhile, the mid-term election results will determine the direction of the country in 2018 and beyond.
Perhaps the blockbuster event of 2018 will be findings in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe. Mueller and his team resemble the modern day version of Eliot Ness and “the Untouchables” in their dogged pursuit of the criminal enterprise that was the Trump campaign. There has already been ample evidence of contacts, cooperation or collusion, whatever you want to call it, between the Trump campaign and Russia, but it seems that Mueller is going deeper looking into possible financial crimes, like money laundering, which could bring about an early end to the Trump presidency.
The Chinese say, “May you live in interesting times”, and we are certainly there. We have begun to see a level of civic participation that was missing from the 2016 elections and that bodes well for a change in course after the mid-terms. But nothing can be taken for granted. The Trump base, albeit hovering in the mid-thirties, is solid and up to this point Republicans, with the notable exception of a few, have shown no inclination to disavow him despite his manifest unfitness for the office. Other state and local politicians are looking to Trump’s 2016 divisive playbook for their own upcoming races in 2018.
Now, more than ever, we need to be looking to unite with all people of good will to fight back against the creeping authoritarianism sweeping our country and the world. It starts with seeking out and passing on real facts to combat the “alternative facts” being pushed by the other side. We have to remember that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”: we are all connected. Finally, we have to remember that each of us, acting alone and together, can make a difference. We are not powerless in the face of this assault on our freedoms and we will never go back to the way America and the world was. As Stephen Covey said, “The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
Get woke, stay woke.
Staff Writer; Harry D. Sewell