2015 Was The Year Of The Expected

It's time for a year end review. But this year I will give my stupid opinions in a more general mode. That's because 2015 seemed to me to be a quiet year for much of the world, at least on a comparative basis to recent years. Instead of specific life altering events I think we had more of the general on-going things in 2015. This is probably good, in that it shows a degree of stability not found in recent years. Perhaps the terrorist attack on Paris is the lone exception to the rule. Yet, I think that terrorist craziness have become a kind of general insanity that are now a perverted norm. We now expect it and react with less outrage become of the expectation for it.

My year end review of the "Year of the Expected" probably begins with all things related to the alleged "Peaceful religion" (yes, that would be Islam). 2015 saw a further erosion of the Muslim faith into a cult of violence, hatred, bigotry and psychosis. Few mainstream Muslims made any attempt to fight to take back their religion from the nuts. In fact, there was an almost total silence by mainstream Muslims to the terrorist sects that now define the Islamic faith. Shame on them for being silently complacent. In 2015 most non Muslims are not buying the Muslims silence as just cowardice, rather they see it as an unwillingness by mainstream Muslims to resist terrorists on even the simplest levels.

A second general thread to this past year has been the continued rise of addiction to all things electronic. I suspect the word "app" is now more popular than the word "love", but then, so many people today love their apps more than their fellow humans, it is to be expected. This is the year both the oldies and the babies were now also addicted to those crazy machines, living their lives in the virtual rather than the real.  I wonder how shallow the addicted will become in future years. When will humans tire of living their lives through apps? I suspect it won't be any time in the near future.

2015 was also the year of the end of politics. In many nations world-wide, and in particular in the United States, politics is considered such an unpleasant enterprise that voters have ignored the political world and those greasy politicians in favor of trendy, silly or empty causes like "income inequality", "police violence", "climate change" and "diversity programs".  When it's storming outside, why not create fantasy games inside? I suspect the obsession with the virtual world has made it hard for many to see the world as it actual is, not as one wants it to be. Will people continue to run from reality and toward the newest app or electronic gadget?

Another troubling trend in 2015 was the unrestricted movement of people illegally from underdeveloped lands to the riches nations, in the name of forced relocation but in reality movement by the illegals to take advantage of the wealthy nation's social welfare system. Dumping the excess of poverty on rich countries and expecting those nations to flawlessly assimilate a largely uneducated, unskilled population that often refuses to assimilate culturally is a growing world problem. Any nation that refuses the invasions is considered to be "racist". So there is little push back against the invasions. Yet it has always been clear that any nation that does not have a legal immigration system that is enforced fairly to all is doomed to itself become irrelevant. Too, this displacement is hiding the world's biggest problem- overpopulation.

Some good general trends started in 2015 as well.  The rise in charitable work is one.  Not only do affected billionaires pose as humanitarians by giving away large fortunes to massage their egos, the little ones (that would be you and me) make even bigger and sincere sacrifices now in terms of time and money contributed to charitable causes. One might be impressed enough to say that the world is a kinder and more welcoming place that it was in 2014.

More good trends include, the slow but real decline of reality TV, the trend to examine and embrace the best of traditions and "old ways" far more than in recent years, and the continued rise in income and heath status of many people in underdeveloped lands. Food shortages were less this year in the poorest countries of the world. and medical assistance in poor countries has made infant mortality and early death less of a crisis there.
Oh, but one thing remained the same. I am still here, still ranting and still annoying. Some things ever change. Happy New Year!