Well that’s another year done, somehow or other we survived 2017. Donald Trump has not blown the world up although I am not so sure that I will be able to say that at the end of next year. No large meteorites smashed into the Earth and the sea levels have not yet drowned us.
What did we learn from 2017? The rich are still getting richer and, as we discovered in the Paradise Papers, they are finding more and more ways to avoid paying tax and their fair share to society. We learned that no matter how many are shot the Americans will never give up their guns. We learned that North Korea are a law unto themselves and no amount of half-hearted sanctions will stop that.
In sport Lewis Hamilton is still the king of the borefest that is Formula 1. Usain Bolt was not invincible and has retired, Manchester City are proving that the biggest chequebook can make you the best football team in the world, and England are still rubbish at cricket but Scotland are getting better at rugby.
Technology has seen the dramatic rise of the electric vehicle and the self-driving one. These are coming much faster than we thought, and with the rise also in renewable electricity generation the future for oil producing countries is not bright. The GCC countries do however have an abundance of sunlight but there needs to be a ‘C’ change in their thinking if they are going to continue to provide the world with energy. Saudi Arabia has enough desert area to produce a substantial amount of electricity through solar panels and the transmission lines are a lot easier to put in place than pipelines, but someone has got to make that decision.
Above all people are still stupid. How many have got into trouble with inappropriate tweets? How many write ill-advised things in emails and then instead of deleting them they store them just so they can be found by someone else to be used in evidence against them. The kids have got it right by using Snapchat where the conversation disappears as soon as it has been read, just like a real conversation.
The biggest thing we learned in 2017 is that the casting couch is alive and well in Hollywood and not just a scurrilous innuendo. My my what a surprise that was to find out that rich and powerful men have been using their position to cajole young and innocent girls into granting them “favours” in return for roles in film and television. Who would have believed it! I am sure that they will make a movie out of it, if they can find someone repulsive enough to play Harvey.
What will 2018 bring us? Misguided people will still kill themselves and innocent bystanders in the name of religion. Military conflict will still happen because the arms companies still need to make profits. The GCC countries will announce grandiose solar projects which will never get off the drawing board. The driverless car will arrive, on time and without incident. Expats in Bahrain will continue to pay more and more for basic services. Trump may blow up the world but the sea levels will at least remain the same.
It will probably be OK though. I do hope that 2018 brings health happiness and prosperity to all of you. Happy New Year.