Goodbye 2023. And honestly, good riddance.
It's been a low-key terrible year. I've been through years that were worse, on a personal level and on a world-wide level (one obvious example: 2001). But 2023 seemed to be bad on multiple levels without ever getting too deep in it's misery. It was a low-level fever that never broke- and very little good to come from it.
Take the Ukraine-Russian war. It continued throughout 2023, no closer to a resolution than it was at the start of the year. The casualities are near half a million- and if there is any hope that it will be ending soon, I am not hearing about it.
Then add the growing fighting in the Middle East. Hamas' attack on October 7th wasn't an invasion; it was a group of thugs trying to provoke a fight by abusing innocent people. Neither Israel nor Palestine will have peace or safety as long as Hamas exists.
It feels like we are in a slow-moving growing worldwide conflict, and that there is nothing that can be done to avoid it. Just a growing sense of dread.
On the US Front, it feels similar (though not nearly as deadly). Barring some shocking election results in the primary, we are headed towards a 2020 Presidential rematch that no one wants. It's up to the voters to select someone other than Biden or Trump; according to the polls, that isn't likely to happen.
Even the entertainment seems dreary. The Dodgers have just spent over $1,145,000,000.00 on baseball players this offseason. Yeah, they'll be a superteam. Is that going to be enjoyable to watch, even for them?
If I dig down, I can find some good news; the strikes for the writers and actors was resolved. Inflation hasn't been beaten, but we've managed to hit a balance to raise the interest rates enough to lower inflation without causing a recession. But even that seems fleeting.
There's been worse years. But 2023 just seems to be dreary.
Here's hoping the next year is better.
