If 2022 required a title, it would be called The Year of Transition.
The world saw a number of fundamental shifts this year that will set the pace for the years to come. We saw an unprovoked war in Europe by Russia. A war which stood to jeopardize gas and oil supplies in ways that were critical to economics all over the world.
We saw the transition out of pandemic economic conditions, causing inflation and the unprecedented rise in interest rates – putting financial conditions in America both in familiar and uncharted territories.
In America, we saw a number of historic pieces of legislation that will transition the United States to new levels with respect to climate change, infrastructure, and how we compete on the global stage.
We experienced climate events like nothing the world has ever seen before. From wildfires, hurricanes, extreme heat, and winter storms, the world transitioned from a period of less frequent climate events, to a future where life depends on our attention to the world in which we life.
The world saw great shifts in fundamental ideologies that governed life for so long. From protest in Iran and China, to the rise and fall of divine political regimes, the world began the transition to a new way of life that begins to treat the things that make us different as fundamental to a future where we coexist.
In America, we transitioned to a way of life where mass shootings became the norm and political complacency set the tone for the future of gun safety in our country. We also saw in America new levels of threats against marginalized groups, including our nation’s highest court rolling back a ruling on abortion that set the tone for fundamental rights in our country.
We witnessed the transition of life of key global figures, like Queen Elizabeth II, marking the end of an era in its own right.
We witnessed the the resignation of powerful political figures, like Boris Johnson and Liz Truss in the UK. We also witnessed an unprecedented consolidation of power in China to the Chinese President Xi Jinping. In the United States, we witnessed a midterm election that is sure to leave a mark on American politics.
With obvious exceptions of course, as I reflect on these happenings, I hesitate to opine on wether or not these events are “good” or “bad.” More accurately, I describe them as fundamental shifts. Shifts in world order, politics, human rights, and more. Shifts that will change the trajectory of the United States and the world in ways that I hope are positive. Some of the outcomes of these transactions have yet to be seen, but some are tangible now — like the shift away from globalization and a shift in economic conditions never seen before (e.g. quantitive tightening).
One thing is for sure, there is movement around us in ways that are both exciting and uncertain. Change can be good, but as it stands now, the future has yet to be written.
Kyle Urbashich 