I can say that I had visions of 2018 being a challenging year; 2017 dictated that the 12 months that would follow could be “mind blowing”. Consider my mind blown!
The world is only one month into 2018 and could have anyone predicted that all the events that have unfolded (so far) would take place in just under 31 days?
Hollywood united with “amazing women and phenomenal men” at the Golden Globe awards saying that it was #TimesUp. The #MeToo movement rallied against misconduct and treatment against women with marched around the world. Political upheaval is being witnessed in all levels of government on both sides of the 49th parallel as (rightly or wrongly) we’re seeing leaders resign.
Pushback by, Canada’s Indigenous Peoples to the government’s reconciliation efforts because it is not indigenous enough.
The Olympics are uniting the Koreas. New trade deals are uniting many countries while isolating some others. There is a war of words between two larger than life leaders. The doomsday clock is pushed forward by 30 seconds to 11:58:00pm.
Rhetoric about trade with the US and Mexico continues to be ramped up by the Americans with NAFTA threatening to be torn up.
Algorithms are changing how we see news and what news we see; Social Media is making sure we only see what we will “like” and keeping what angers us further down on our timelines. All the new news is to be found in newspapers and on the radio. This is the freedom that Facebook once proposed?
The court of public opinion is having dramatic effects; the voices of the dismissed and forgotten are being heard. But at what cost? Are journalists taking risks with their stories, or is the media finding its voice against those that find it fake?
What grabbed my attention in everything above is that in my year of living politically I am surprised by all of it? Should I be? Should I expect the unexpected? Should I think about how the events of the first 31 of 365 days will shape what I can see?
So, what will the remaining 11 months be like? What shape will they take and can/should we expect more revelations that disappoint us? When will we see improvements? Will news see positive results and positive changes?
There will be some outcomes that are more immediate than others. Voters in Canada’s two most populous provinces will vote this year, Ontario in June and Quebec in October.
An earlier barometer will be the leadership contest for the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party following allegations that had the Party Leader, Party Executive Director and Party President all removed from their positions. The membership of the party will have the first say in the direction the party will flow. Will the events of the previous week have an effect on halting possible leadership bids from within the caucus? At the time of posting this, the Interim Leader, Vic Fedeli had decided not to seek the position permanently. Would that be an effect of a new political environment?
Following the selection of the new leader the party almost jumps into election mode, as of March 10th – the date the Leadership is decided there are only 89 days before Ontario votes. Will party choices speed up or kill momentum for the new leader?
As we also approached day 31 of 2018, Donald Trump will have given his “State of the Union” address to the nation. Will events of the previous month and events before that change Trump? Can there be an expectation that hard lines will be drawn in cement by the President?
On Day 32, February 1st, what are your expectations? More of the same or do you see positive progress from the events that took place January? Let me know, please a comment.
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